Tower Over Me: One Shots
by Calla Mae
Summary: A series of one shots based on a bitter girl who has no one but the angry boy who loves her. A continuation of the fanfic Tower Over Me. Sweet Pea/OC (suggestions welcome)
1. Snapshot - Valentine's Day

_This will be a collection of one shots and short stories to go along with my story Tower Over Me. If there's anyone reading this that has not read that story, this could really just be fluff without any context for you._

 _For my returning readers, so it begins. I started with one idea that's its own series I'm calling, Snapshots - which are moments in Tower Over Me that I never actually wrote. So these are more canon to that story. I've got a couple more, and yeah, it's all mostly fluff between Lane and Sweet Pea. Some are longer like this one, others are pretty short._

* * *

 **I. Snapshot: Valentine's Day**

The early morning sunlight streaked in through the blinds warming her bare back as she lay content beside him. She was usually up before him, he either woke to her climbing over him or from the slow conscious realization that she wasn't there. These soft gentle moments of him waking to her sweetly dreaming face were few and far between. So he took a moment to trace the delicate planes of her face, and he smoothed her knitted brow beneath his thumb as she began to stir.

"Morning," Sweet Pea said at the sight of Lane's pale green eyes as she blinked.

A smile graced her momentarily blissful face and she hummed reaching for him. "What time is it?"

Shrugging he answered with a sly, "why not be a little late?"

Her dark brows once more drew together as she sat up, looking for her phone to see they had less than ten minutes to get ready for school. "I'm never late," she told him sternly as she climbed over him and headed for the shower.

Sweet Pea chuckled faintly to himself as he slowly followed, seeing how serious she was about being on time when he climbed in the shower with her to see her brushing her teeth as she stood under the spray. And with a warm smile he stood in front of her deeply irritable face, which he knew was only for show, and reached around her to lather the shampoo in her thick hair. It ended in her eyes closed and her head tipped back as he rinsed out her hair while pressing soft kisses on her forehead and her cheek and her eyelids and her slightly parted minty lips.

"A little late," she said so quiet he could've thought he imagined it. He grinned pulling her up into his arms and backing her against the cold tiled wall that raised goosebumps all over her skin. "But only a few minutes," she told him with a finger raised in warning.

He nipped her finger gently and smiled at her pulling away too slow. "That depends on you, babe," was his cheeky reply. And her response was to roll her eyes and pull him into a kiss.

…

With her wet hair piled in a bun she flipped through her folder making sure she had all of her work, and when she was satisfied that she had everything she made her way to the kitchen to pack their lunch. But she was stopped at the sight of a vase on the kitchen table, containing a single orange dahlia. Her favorite flower.

"Sweet Pea?" she called hearing his muffled yeah from the bedroom, and she waited for him to shuffle into the kitchen. "What is this?"

He glanced casually at the flower before turning to where she stood staring up at him with a brow raised. "Looks like a flower," he answered slowly, as if she wasn't already aware. It served to make her eyes harden further. "You got another boyfriend I don't know about?" he teased and left her in the kitchen as he continued getting ready.

She huffed irritably and gathered things to make sandwiches, naively leaving her back to the table. With their lunches packed she turned around and her eyes narrowed seeing a couple white flowers framing the dahlia. Anemones, her father's favorite flower. "Sweet Pea," she called sternly, turning to where he stood in the living room pulling on his boots. "We said no gifts," she reminded him, even though she now remembered very clearly that he'd never verbally agreed to that.

"I don't know what to tell you," he said with a shrug. "Except we're gonna be late if you don't hurry up."

Sighing loudly she threw his lunch bag at him and moved to where she left her backpack, and she was stopped at finding yet another flower gently laid atop it. She looked up to see him dutifully putting his lunch into his own backpack, no sign on his face he was trying not to smile. "Do I need to bring the vase?" she asked wondering how many more were gonna pop up.

He looked up at her innocently. "Why are you asking me?" he posed instead as he pulled the door open. "There's another one on the doormat," he called over his shoulder as he made his way to her car.

With a growl she snatched the vase off the table, marched to the front door, plucked a more yellow orange dahlia off the mat, shut and locked the door behind her, and tramped her way to the car. "Sweet Pea," she nearly whined when she opened the door to find long stalks of leaves that were placed in bouquets to give texture.

"Those aren't even flowers," he commented as she climbed in beside him. Backing out of the driveway he snuck a quick glance to see her situating the still small arrangement the way she liked it. It left him rubbing his lips together to keep from smiling.

They only made it a short way before she asked, "what are you doing?"

His brows drew together as he shrugged. "Driving you to school. What are you doing?" he asked in return.

She scoffed rolling her eyes and turned on the radio, holding the not even half filled vase. Sweet Pea was many things but she'd never pegged him a romantic, and considering he was probably enjoying pissing her off she still wasn't sure if romantic was the right word. And yet she kept her head turned to look out her window pursing her mouth around a smile she had no control over.

They made it as the first bell rang, leaving them three minutes to get to class. And he walked her to her locker down a hall covered in red hearts and paper roses. "I'm gonna go," he said as they reached her locker. "If I kissed you would that be too much of a gift?" he asked grinning at her elbowing him.

"Just go," she told him knowing he'd find a way to be late without her. Without warning he bent and kissed her firmly on the cheek, and she turned smacking his arm hearing his deep laughter as he left her there. She turned from him pressing her smiling lips together hard enough she could feel the indents her teeth were leaving.

Opening her locker she found pale yellow baby's breath set atop one of her textbooks. She turned looking for Sweet Pea wondering how the hell he'd done that, but even in the thinning crowd of students she couldn't find his dark head that never failed to stand above the others. It had to be Fangs, she thought adding it to the vase and emptying her bag of what she didn't need for the period.

Another dahlia was waiting for her on her desk, and then in the next period, and at the lunch table. She added it to her growing bouquet and set the vase on the table, noticing the way Toni smiled as she reached a hand to touch one of the petals. "I'm getting a soda," Lane said looking down at Sweet Pea with hard eyes. He still looked too innocent, her boy was always getting into trouble.

"These are really pretty, where'd you get them," Lane heard Toni ask Sweet Pea as she walked away.

And she heard Sweet Pea's reply: "yeah, those aren't from me."

A deep crease etched between Lane's brows as she made her way to the student lounge where the vending machine was. With her back to them Toni and Sweet Pea shared a knowing smile.

She found flowers on her desk in her last two periods as well, though she didn't remember the name of them. One was yellow and the other white, their layers of petals arranged in a delicate wide circle. And more baby's breath in her locker at the end of the day.

"How was your day?" Sweet Pea asked leaning against the locker beside hers, and held the vase when she forced it into his hands so she could grab her stuff.

"Fine," was her simple reply.

The corner of his mouth curled as he looked down at her. "Just fine?" he asked, daring to goad her.

She raised her shoulder offhanded. "It's not like you're gonna answer me," she said more to herself. Grabbing the last thing she shut her locker and took the vase back. "I was thinking of ordering a pizza for dinner."

"Yeah?" Sweet Pea asked, slinging an arm around her shoulder as they made their way out to the car. "I mean, it is Valentine's Day. We can go out if you want."

Looking up at him with an amused expression she told him, "no, I wanted pizza. Do you wanna go out?"

"Nope, pizza's fine," he was quick to agree. She was spoiling him. She'd told him last week no gifts and he knew she meant it, none of that crap about her saying she didn't want anything and still expecting a present. So when she said she didn't wanna go out, he knew she meant it. "I really like you," he said kissing the top of her head.

She knew that's what he'd been looking for, confirmation that what she said was actually what she wanted. He was still trying to figure out how to do this, and whether what he was doing right. "I like you too," she told him in kind.

Reaching the car he looked down at her, thinking she looked very pretty in the afternoon light, and he bent to kiss her softly. They both climbed in and he pulled out of the parking lot.

"I did technically get something," Lane told him. "But it's mostly for me."

"Chocolate cake?" he asked with a smile, having already turned down the street that would take them to the bakery.

They entered the heavily decorated shop and she happily breathed in the warm smell of sugar and cake and chocolate. "Vivian," Sweet Pea told the owner, who knew Lane well enough she hadn't really needed a name. But she returned with the box, and a smile, and set it on the counter ringing them up.

Lane blinked at the pinkish orange dahlia taped to the side of the box. "I'm pretty sure this is yours," Sweet Pea sighed sounding annoyed as he handed her the flower and headed back to the car.

She'd ordered the cake when he was out of the house with Fangs, he shouldn't have known they were gonna stop here. She stared at his back with a gaping mouth and wide eyes, and she took a breath and collected herself. "What the hell?" she muttered following him. "How did you know?" she asked when she got in the car.

"When you said it was mostly for you," he answered easily. "That always means chocolate cake."

Shaking her head she sat back with a mildly irked grin just barely curled on her mouth. She had to admit he was good at this. She would've had no idea what to get him, a new switchblade was the closest thing she'd come to before deciding it was too soon in their relationship to do this. And yet this rough angry boy had littered flowers in every corner of her life, and behind her annoyed sighs was a smile she tried to hide.

When they got home he put the cake in the fridge and she ordered the pizza while absentmindedly arranging the flowers the way she thought they should be. Familiarity hit her all at once as she hung up, and she stared at the orange yellow and white toned flowers wondering what was missing.

Sweet Pea came up behind her and placed two more flowers in what Lane had felt like were empty spaces. Red marigolds – her step mother's favorite flower. He'd recreated their wedding bouquet.

Tears flooded her eyes as she turned to look up at him seeing his handsome face made soft by his small smile. Everything in her life had gone in some way, and for some reason he'd decided to stick by her. And it wasn't just that she loved him, which she did, some days it was everything to feel how much he loved her. But what she said in a voice that broke was, "what happened to no gifts?"

He shrugged and stepped further against her, so he could feel her when she breathed. "I thought you deserved one," was the best answer he could find. He'd gotten the idea a month ago when Lane and her step mom were packing up her old house and they'd come across the wedding album. There'd been something so soft in the way Lane told him how she and her dad and Rebecca had picked out the flowers they loved most for the bouquet so that a little part of each of them was there. It was a glimpse of how happy she used to be, and he'd wanted her to feel that again. But he didn't know how to tell her any of that.

"I didn't get you anything."

"I know." His eyes fell from hers and he cleared his throat, his mind slow to catch up to the words his mouth was saying. "I don't think there's anything else I'd want." More than you, but his throat seemed to close and he couldn't finish. Looking at her he saw her trying to swallow the new onslaught of tears that filled her eyes too full, and he reached a gentle hand to brush away the few that had escaped. Sometimes it floored him seeing how much she loved him, that he got to have her.

Unable to get out what was in his mind he wrapped his arms around her shoulders forcing her head far back so that her face was upturned to see him, and he kissed her. Hard. In a way he knew would take her breath away. The same way her smile could take away his.

* * *

 _I hope you guys enjoyed this first snapshot. If anyone has any one shot ideas you'd like to see written, please leave them in a review. If I can envision them (which is sometimes kind of hard for me) I will add it to my growing list of future one shots._

 _Also, a sneak peek. I think the next chapter is going to be a fun little mock proposal idea that I had. Anyways, thank you so much for reading!_


	2. Festival of Lights

_This turned out way longer than I meant it to. But I went back and forth and ultimately decided to include their daughter - so it's actually two one shots in one with Sweet Pea proposing and baby's first Hanukkah. Since Lane's due date is mid September, their daughter is almost three months old at this point._

* * *

 **II. Festival of Lights**

It was dark by the time they made their way home. As the year drew to an end the days had grown short and the nights cold. In those early days of the last month there were only a few strings of lights twinkling with eager anticipation of the coming holiday. And Lane sat beside Sweet Pea as he drove, warmed by the heater and by him.

"I heard from her teacher today, and they are gonna be closed Friday before Christmas. One of us is gonna have to miss school."

With a grin he turned into their neighborhood. "I'm willing to make that sacrifice," he said reaching a hand to squeeze her leg. "That's how much I love you."

"My hero," was her dry, half amused, reply. As he pulled into the driveway her eyes narrowed seeing the blinds to the front window were closed, which they hadn't been when they left that morning, and there was a faint glow coming from inside. "Why are the lights on?" she asked, undoing her seatbelt but not getting out of the car.

Cold bitter air stole into the warm car as he opened his door. "It was probably Fangs."

"Did he say he came over?" Lane asked, too cautious to shrug it off.

Shutting his door and coming around to open hers Sweet Pea offered her his hand and forced her out of car. "Why don't you get her and I'll check it out." With a quick pop on her ass he made his way to the door and let himself in, making a show of looking around before he stuck his head out and gave Lane – too smart for anyone's good – the all clear.

With the handle of the car seat hooked in the crick of her elbow Lane headed inside, maneuvering around Sweet Pea as he shut the door after her. And he turned to look down at her seeing her wide glistening eyes in the warm glow from the tree. Very gently he took the car seat from her and set it on the couch, checking under the blanket draped over it that their daughter was still asleep before he flipped on the lights.

It was like a Jewish winter wonderland. Everything was blue and white and silver, there were hand painted dreidles and Stars of David, a blue and white bouquet on the coffee table beside her father's menorah, a center piece on the dining table of a lovely vase with what looked to be a thin wiry tree with it's own smaller ornaments, and a royal blue table runner.

With a baffled smile she turned to where Sweet Pea stood with his hands in his pockets waiting, feigning bashfulness. "You were with me all day," she said not knowing how he'd done this.

Shrugging his shoulders he moved to her and stood with his hands on her wide hips. "I mentioned it to Toni who made the mistake of talking about it in front of Cheryl." He didn't need to finish, Lane knew how fiercely Cheryl could take something over. "And before you remind me we agreed on no presents this time, we never said anything about Daya. It is her first Hanukkah."

She was looking up at him with such gentle eyes, a gentleness she hadn't been able to show before she'd had Daya. Rising on the tips of her toes she pulled him down to kiss her, almost surprised at how completely in love with him she still was. He sighed against her, feeling too warm, and he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up into his arms as he walked her to the bedroom. At the first little sounds of cooing he stopped and they both turned toward the couch and waited. Sure enough Daya's little voice came louder as she babbled at the butterfly hanging from the handle of the car seat.

"How does she know?" Sweet Pea asked setting Lane down. It was like their daughter had a sixth sense for sex, and any time he and Lane got remotely close she'd wake up.

Patting his arm with contrived sympathy Lane moved to the couch and pulled the blanket down, seeing Daya first blink startled and then give a gummy smile at the sight of her mom. "Wanna see what your aunts did?"

Gently lifting her out of the car seat she turned Daya toward the tree, and she stared with wide eyes and flapping arms. Lane stepped closer letting Daya touch one of the large bows, but she turned to look behind them and squealed no longer interested in the tree. "Did you find daddy?" Lane asked her, having felt Sweet Pea at her back.

He'd never been the kind of person to melt at anything, Lane had been the closest for him but even then he'd been too hard for it – but the way Daya looked at him, like he was the best thing in her whole world, he melted every time. "There's my baby girl," he said taking her from Lane. And he kissed her soft round cheeks and smiled at her sweet laughter. "Let's watch momma light the candles."

They stood at the table as Lane situated the menorah with a candle in the center and the first night's candle in the rightmost stand. And they listened as she sang the prayers, Daya joining in with little coos. When it was done and the candles were burning he stood with their daughter in one arm and Lane wrapped in the other, and he looked down at Lane with a cheeky grin.

"Yeah yeah, you're the best and I love you," she mumbled, reaching a hand to Daya's dark hair to try to smooth it down from where it stuck it up.

"More than anything in the whole world."

Lane hummed as though contemplating that, taking several seconds longer making him roll his eyes. "I don't know, I do love her very much."

He looked down at Lane and very plainly told her, "it's me or the kid."

Blinking up at his serious face she nodded like she was thinking it over. "How long do I have to make a decision?" she asked.

"Sounds like you already did," he said forcing his voice to break, as though he was close to tears, and he marched out of the kitchen and headed for their room.

Laughing lightly she followed him, seeing he'd laid Daya down to get her ready for bed, and Lane cupped his face and kissed his cheek before grabbing a onesie out of the dresser.

…

Sweet Pea woke to the sound of the alarm and he flung an arm to reach blindly for the phone and shut it off. With a groan he stretched and turned to see Lane half sitting propped up by pillows still fast asleep with Daya in her arms. Instead of waking her he jumped in the shower, giving her a few extra minutes. And when he came back with a towel around his waist and his wet hair falling in his face he found them both still sleeping. So he got dressed, toweled off his hair, and knelt on the bed waking Lane with soft kisses on her face.

"What time is it?" Lane asked looking for her phone. If he was dressed already it meant they were late.

"We're not late," he told her. "Get ready, I'll take her."

She really loved him sometimes. She could also almost hate him sometimes too, like when she was awake with a baby sucking her dry every two hours at night while he snored beside her. But god could she love him.

Showering quickly she threw her hair up and got dressed before making her way to the kitchen, seeing Sweet Pea had already gotten Daya dressed and packed her bag for daycare. Since she made their lunches last night the only thing left to do was grab their backpacks and get their shoes on, and Sweet Pea's were already on.

Lane sat in the back of the car distracting Daya from the fact that she was in her car seat, which she hated. And dropping her off at daycare the two made their way to school, Sweet Pea headed to class with Toni and Lane went with Cheryl.

"You did good," Lane told Cheryl as they walked arm in arm through the hall.

Cheryl smiled to herself already knowing that. "Did you really expect any less? Elegant but not gaudy, which concerned me with all that blue." She sighed heavily. "And not a single drop of red."

"That must've been very hard for you," Lane commented.

"Don't patronize me," Cheryl said dryly. "You know it was."

Pressing her lips around a grin Lane nodded, absentmindedly playing with the menorah necklace Sweet Pea had gotten her last year.

After school they picked Daya up, was told she was a little fussy – which wasn't a surprise to Lane because they hadn't had a great night's sleep. And then went to work at the garage. Lane spent most of it either holding Daya as she worked, or sitting at the computer with Daya playing on a mat trying to reach for the little dangly toys above her.

All in all, a fairly good day. Made better by the warmth of their decorated home that still made Lane pause in the threshold to marvel at. With the candles lit and the prayers sung they sat on the couch, with Sweet Pea holding Daya, and Lane opening the present he'd wrapped. "No way," Lane gasped at the sight of the outfit. It was a little white onesie that said 'my first Hanukkah' with a little menorah and a blue skirt. And then she found the "mommy's little latke" shirt and pants beneath it.

"I even went ahead and washed them cause I knew you'd want her to wear one tomorrow," he said pretty proud of himself.

Lane was still beaming as she looked between the two, trying to decide which one she'd wear. "You're gonna look so cute," she said as Daya sucked on her fingers.

Mouth pursed around a grin Sweet Pea watched Lane, seeing so much warmth and joy in her face. "You ruined your mom kid," he told their daughter.

"Coming from the man still scared of me when I'm angry," was Lane's half serious retort.

And Sweet Pea shrugged responding in kind, "that's cause you're scary when you're angry."

Lane sat back knowing she was so horribly soft, that had really started when she'd been pregnant. But there'd been something about holding Daya that first time that just devastated her in the best way possible.

…

The next night Daya leaned back against Sweet Pea's chest trying her hardest to grab onto the blue plush dreidle Lane was holding in front of her. She was throwing her arms at it and she'd get her little hand on a small part but she'd get so excited that she'd grab it too soon and would end up with nothing. Before she could get mad Lane would shake it making it rattle and Daya would make some kind of half squealing sound and kick her legs. Lane looked up at Sweet Pea and he at her, and they shared a small happy smile.

…

The next two nights were presents she couldn't use yet. "Hebrew letter blocks," Lane exclaimed when she unwrapped them. She'd played with these, and she had a vague memory of being young and her catholic mother having a very big problem with it.

"You know I got those for Daya, right?" Sweet Pea teased.

Smacking his leg Lane told him, "shut up."

He sucked in air like he was offended. "Did you see that?" he said looking down at a very awake Daya. "She assaulted me. Your mother's very mean."

Beside him Lane rolled her eyes refusing the smile that tugged at her mouth as she settled pressed against him.

The next night she unwrapped a box and stared confused at the plush Jewish man sitting on a cardboard bench. Mensch on a Bench. She read the box realizing he helped tell the Hanukkah story, and could even hold the Shamash. "Oh that's gonna be fun," she said already imaging Daya holding her Mensch and helping light the menorah in a couple years. And then she was left with the realization that she was thinking long term, with him, and rather than that scaring her it made her so unbearably warm.

…

Sweet Pea sat on the bed with Lane in his lap, and Lane sat with her legs bent and Daya sitting up against her reading one of the books she'd unwrapped that night. They'd already gone through the kid's story of Hanukkah, made very simple and colorful. And now Lane read Shmelf the Hanukkah Elf, that she'd found to be the funniest thing. Every so often Daya would reach for something on the page and slam her little down trying to get it.

They only had a few more pages when Daya started whining, too tired to be awake anymore. And then Sweet Pea sat on the bed beside Lane while she nursed Daya to sleep. "The last two gifts are mostly for you," Sweet Pea told her quietly.

As though she'd expected that, Lane asked him without turning, "you gonna fix the oven?" Not that she minded eating out, or grabbing something to bring home, because it was easier. The cost of it is what bothered her.

"No," he was quick to respond, having no idea what to do with the oven. "But FP's gonna take a look at it tomorrow. And you, are not gonna be here." He waited for her to catch on and met her confused eyes when she turned to him. "Daddy daughter day."

Which mean alone time. "Seriously?" she asked too afraid to hope. She hadn't had a day to herself in almost three months, Sweet Pea got a several hours every weekend but Lane had the milk and she couldn't go far. She reached a hand to his face. "I picked a good one."

He turned his face into her touch and kissed her palm. "Yeah you did," he agreed making her smile. "Also, I've been told Cheryl and Fangs compromised and are splitting your day."

Still smiling she looked down at their daughter seeing she'd fallen asleep, and she very gently and slowly moved her to the crib. And with her on her back Lane turned to the bed with the plan to snuggle up against him, but there was the most pathetic whimper behind her and she sighed realizing they were gonna be having another long night. Giving it a second, that was long enough for full blown tears, Lane gave up and sat back on the bed with Daya in her arms.

"You little shit," she mumbled as Daya almost immediately fell back asleep now that she had what she wanted.

Lane herself fell asleep half sitting propped up by pillows with Sweet Pea, who knew she wanted to be held, spread across her lap as he drooled.

…

The next morning she was still sitting up with her head fallen to the side, her arms still crossed to make a sling but they were empty. She shot awake looking for Daya and instead found Sweet Pea also gone, and she released a breath hearing muffled voices from the TV behind the door he'd closed so she could sleep longer.

Daya was strapped in her swing talking to the animals that spun slowly above her. "How long has she been up?" Lane asked, seeing it was after nine.

"Since five thirty," Sweet Pea mumbled only half awake. He felt Lane sit beside him and he turned to wrap his arms around her as she leaned against his chest. "Cheryl's waiting for me to tell her you're awake."

"Ten minutes."

But he was already on his way to asleep and he barely heard her, not that he would've argued anyway. Ten minutes turned to thirty and he woke to find her gone and the swing empty. Following her soft voice to the kitchen he stood leaning against the wall watching Lane, who'd gotten them both dressed, stand with an arm curled under Daya as she nursed all the while making coffee with her free hand and talking to Cheryl over the phone she'd put on speaker.

Ten minutes later a knock sounded on the door and Lane let Cheryl and Toni in to say hi to Daya, and for Toni at least to say hi to Sweet Pea since Cheryl still some days tried to pretend he didn't exist. Pulling her shoes on Land told him, "bottles are in the fridge, and your lunch is the container with the blue top." She moved beside him and kissed Daya's forehead before heading for the door. "See that," she said motioning to her daughter, who was content in Sweet Pea's arms, "she only cries when he leaves. Who cares about mom, right?"

"She's just the cow with the milk." He met Lane's suddenly burning eyes as she turned to glare at him. "Oh," he laughed turning his back on her and looked down at Daya, "she did not like that."

…

Lane came back with a bag containing two to go boxes she'd grabbed for them to have dinner. The sight she was met with upon entering their small house was Sweet Pea slumped on the couch sleeping with Daya curled on his chest. Taking the food to the kitchen she quietly sat on the armrest beside him and ran a hand through his hair, looking at the way he held their daughter. She looked so small against him, and him being this almost constantly bruised giant who was so incredibly gentle with her.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked without opening his eyes, having felt the way her hand stilled on his head and knew it to mean a thought had surprised her.

"Having another in a few years."

Now his eyes were open and he looked up at her face made soft with her admittance. It was so hard to get out of her what she wanted for herself, with a kid the future was made obvious and obligated – but she wanted this, she wanted him. "I want a boy," was as close as he'd get to admitting he thought about it too and wanted it just as much. And as she smiled faintly he wished so much they'd had this conversation tomorrow, it would've been the perfect lead in.

…

Lane hadn't been suspicious when Sweet Pea told her that morning as they got ready for school that her gift would come after they lit the last candle. It was understandable, not worthy of noticing. But when he kept distracting her, which he made unfortunately very obvious, she started to wonder. Giving Daya a bath and nursing her to sleep she set her in her crib and tiptoed out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack so they would hear her, and she waited and waited and sighed so relieved at only hearing the lullaby music. "I think she's down," she whispered coming into the living room, not seeing Sweet Pea on the couch where she'd left him.

Laid on the coffee table was a large wooden picture frame and she stepped closer seeing an intricately painted circle of leaves and flowers and inside it was writing. The breath stilled in her lungs recognizing the Hebrew letters, and beneath it the English script outlining the day next year they would enter into the covenant of marriage. He'd gotten her a Ketubah, because he knew whether or not she liked to admit it she wanted to keep her father's Jewish traditions.

She turned seeing Sweet Pea down on one knee holding a box with a ring, and he wore just about the most vulnerable expression as he looked up at her. "Will you do me the honor of being unhappy with me for the rest of our lives?"

Any other time she would've smiled at his word choice, but now she was standing with an entire future ahead of her and she could barely breathe. So when words failed her she nodded.

"Yeah?" he asked, needing to be sure, to hear it again. Because even though he'd been dropping hints since she was pregnant it was nothing now that he was here on his knee with his heart laid bare waiting for her accept it.

She nodded again and gave a breathy, "yeah."

With a large dopey grin he stood gathering her in his arms and kissed her over and over, and again. They pulled apart with mirrored half contained smiles, and with his hands under her he maneuvered the ring out of the box and brought one hand to hers slipping it on her thin finger over her tattoo. It was beautifully simple, the way he knew she liked. The diamond was oblong with smaller stones surrounding it, all on a thin gold band. And she looked back to his warm dark eyes and kissed him again.

"So we're going with my plan," she said when she'd pulled away. And a wide grin spread on his face.

.^.

 _All Hallows Eve_

Music blared in the heavily decorated bar as the costume-adorned Serpents moved about in tune with the beat, most with a drink in hand. Sweet Pea knocked back a quick shot hoping to calm his fried nerves and ran a hand over his slicked back hair.

"What are you supposed to be?" Toni asked the boy in the suit as she worked behind the bar. She'd tried to get out of it, but with the party Hog Eye told her they'd need all available hands.

He looked down at his watch seeing there was less than ten minutes now. No use in lying anymore. "A groom," was his simple answer. While Toni sputtered he motioned her to come out from behind the bar and he grabbed Fangs. "Go get Lane, she's in the back room with Cheryl," he said taking Daya from him and passing her off to Toni.

Toni looked from the little girl in her arms, dressed as Dorothy because for some reason Daya loved to sit in a swing and watch The Wizard of Oz, and looked to the unknown man wearing a scarf over his shoulders and what she was now realizing was a yamaka. He was a wedding officiate.

Fangs knocked on the closed door and waited for Cheryl to jerk it open and drag him inside before closing it again. He was stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Lane in a stark white dress with her dark hair pulled back. The front of it was very simple and swooped along her collarbone, which was very Lane, but the back plunged down her spine and came together at the beaded belt around her waist. "What?" was all he could think to ask, he was too stunned to come up with anything else.

"Obviously their getting married," Cheryl said with a roll of her eyes as she fixed Lane's hair around the lovely clip holding her braided bun in place.

Lane reached back and smacked Cheryl in warning. "We need two witnesses," she said, explaining his presence. "You'll sign the ketubah with us and then we'll start." She couldn't keep from smiling even if she tried.

"Ketubah?" Fangs asked, still unable to take his eyes off her.

"Wedding contract," Cheryl snapped as she smoothed the back of Lane's gown. The material was light and it draped around her form. "Alright," she said stepping back satisfied. Blinking the not yet formed tears from her eyes she tried fixing Lane's hair again but it was as close to perfect as it could get. And she looked at Lane's shining eyes wanting to throw her arms around her. "You're beautiful and I love you."

She held Cheryl's hand in hers and squeezed it, so incredibly moved by hearing the words she often gave to the other girl. Taking a breath she turned to Fangs and nodded.

The music cut out and the bar quieted as the hour turned, and a low excited murmur ran through them when Lane stepped out as they realized this wasn't just a costume party.

Sweet Pea didn't know what he expected, a simple white dress she'd picked up at a store just to check off a box in her list of things they needed to do. But every part of him froze when he saw her, and he stared with wet eyes as she walked to him. He had to remind himself to breathe. His hand was almost shaking as he signed the paper, and it took him every ounce of will to remember he shouldn't be this nervous.

They'd decided together to split the circling between them to equal seven times around, Lane as the bride taking the extra turn. They stood under the chuppah, a simple canopy of wood framed by lace and flowers, and recited the traditional vows promising to forsake all others and love only each other. And they both gave their 'I dos'. He'd never wanted to kiss her more than when he slid the wedding band on her finger, and she smiled up at him as if in knowing. It ended with Sweet Pea stomping on a cloth wrapped glass, and a chorus of "Mazel Tov," rang through the bar.

And so they were wed. They danced to a slow more romantic version of the song that made Sweet Pea realize he loved her. And he held an arm around her back and his other hand holding hers with his head bent to rest against her as they swayed contentedly. He sang the words very softly in her ear spreading a warm smile on her lips that he couldn't keep from kissing. And every so often their eyes would meet and they would share a subtle knowing grin.

.^.

 _Mid-January (nine months earlier)_

He hadn't thought it'd be this hard, that each day would get harder like a weight that grew steadily heavier until he couldn't stand it. There wasn't anything special about that day or even anything special about the way she looked that morning as she stood in sweatpants with her hair piled on the top of her head as she made them much needed coffee. She was pretty, as he always thought she was, and tired as she now always was. And in the living room behind them Daya was babbling in her swing.

Yet still his mouth opened and what he'd been thinking and wanting for a month fell out. "God I wanna be married to you." He came up behind her running his hands around her waist and nestled his head in the crook of her neck. "I'd marry you right now."

She turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Okay," she responded simply.

He blinked stunned at her easy reply and the openness of her face that told him she meant it. A smile was slow to spread over his face. While Lane got ready he called Fangs asking him to watch Daya for a couple hours, and then he went into the bedroom behind her to get dressed. He settled for a pair of jeans without holes and the nicest shirt he had, and he felt so underdressed when he turned to see Lane standing in a burgundy dress that hung near the end of her shoulder and cut high on her breast bone. She had no makeup on and her hair was still a mess, but he thought she looked beautiful.

Because it was Lane she'd already gotten everything in order, and she collected the license and paperwork while Sweet Pea let Fangs in. Within an hour the two were standing in the courthouse waiting to be seen by the judge. Their names were called and they turned to each other, each taking their own steadying breath, and they stood reaching for the other's hand as they went before the judge.

* * *

 _Sneak peek: since this was so long I'm gonna do a short snapshot next chapter that will explain what their wedding song was._


	3. Snapshot - Drunk in Love

**III. Snapshot - Drunk in Love**

There was something in the air that night that made the bar feel alive as the clock ticked down the last hour til the New Year. Sweet Pea stood in the middle of the floor holding his second beer, having stopped as though paralyzed at the sight of Lane dancing.

She'd had too much to drink. That wasn't uncommon for her those day, in fact it was becoming common enough that Sweet Pea almost considered worrying. But as that thought entered his mind he saw her smile, not the tight-lipped one that slipped past her stubborn refusal to show emotion. No, this smile was wide and toothy and it made her cheeks so round it forced her eyes to squint. And all he was left with was the thought that she was beautiful. And drunk, so incredibly drunk.

So was Fangs, and they danced together to some old song. Reckless and uninhibited. They might've even been singing along to it, Sweet Pea was too far away to tell. But he was having a hard time taking his eyes off Lane, her body pulsing with the beat as she threw her head back, her hair falling in her face.

This stubborn sometimes cruel shell of a girl that frustrated him almost as much as she soothed him. She was difficult and needy, and though her hands could be kind they could also sting. Just like her tongue, she could sometimes say the meanest things. Some days it didn't seem like she knew how to say anything else. But her arms could. They made him feel safe and needed, and they calmed the worst parts of him that made him just as mean. She'd lost everything and yet she'd allowed him to become something else she could lose.

She made him want to stay. She made him want to pretend like he deserved to stay. Like he deserved to love her. Because he did, love her. And he was only realizing it then, watching her from across the bar, that she'd been telling him all this time.

He saw the moment her glazed eyes found him in the crowd and felt her smile spread on his mouth. Drunk, and in love. He watched as she kept dancing, her arms in the air and her body swaying. And he took a breath at the sight of her, raising his drink to his still smiling mouth, knowing there was nothing in this world that could make him take his eyes off her. And he mumbled the words to himself.

 _every little thing she does is magic  
everything she do she turns me on  
even though my life before was tragic  
now I know my love for her goes on_

* * *

 _So there is a slow version of Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by Sleeping At Last, and that is what I imagined they danced to at their wedding. However in this chapter it was the original by The Police._

 _Sneak peek: I think next chapter is gonna be Lane and Sweet Pea meeting after the merger._


	4. Snapshot - marshmallow

_I lied, this is not them meeting after the merger. I'm having trouble with inspiration/motivation (probably because I have no real plot other than fluff). This is another short snapshot, that no one asked for._

* * *

 **IV. Snapshot: marshmallow**

Lane stood on the lower bar of the shopping cart with Sweet Pea pressed against her back as he pushed the cart through the store. He was hunched over her with his arms propped on the handle and his chin on her shoulder, watching her tick down their list for what they still needed. She turned scouring the baking aisle for disposable pans, which she'd been using a lot of lately as she continued making food for everyone harbored in the Whyte Wyrm.

His gaze strayed to a small display candy was usually hung from, only today it was cheap marshmallow shooters. Peeking at Lane to see her still turned away from him he very gently grabbed one and so incredibly slowly snuck it silently into the cart.

Without turning Lane told him, "put it back."

He sighed heavily at her noticing, at her always noticing. "Come on babe," he said with a soft kiss to her shoulder, "live a little."

"Why do we need it?" she asked turning to look at him as he stood behind her.

Shrugging he answered simply, "I wanted to shoot you in the face."

She blinked up at him with a blank, unamused, expression for several long seconds – long enough he knew she was gonna say no. But today she released a loud breath and gave a short, "fine." She caught his victorious grin before she'd turned away, and she rolled her eyes refusing the smile that tugged at her mouth.

About halfway down the aisle he watched her absentmindedly reach a hand to the shelf next to them grabbing a pack of marshmallows. And he smiled leaning forward and kissed her firmly on the cheek.

* * *

 _I don't know what I'm gonna write next, whatever ends up sticking the most in my head. At the moment it's an idea of Lane coming to the Southside already in a relationship (with someone kind of surprising), so Lane wouldn't be with Sweet Pea, but their dynamic would be the same.  
I'm stilling welcoming any suggestions, or criticism. (I've gotten two wonderful ideas from one reviewer that I've added to my list). And as always, I hope you enjoyed. _


	5. this is what makes us girls

_This one shot is of Lane coming to the southside already in a relationship, and for the most part everything that happens in Tower Over Me is the same just minus the romance with Sweet Pea. I didn't intend it to be this long, but I ended up loving even just the friendship between Sweet Pea and Lane._

* * *

 **V. this is what makes us girls**

Sweet Pea didn't know what he was thinking. Maybe that was the problem. From the moment the Northsider showed up on his side of town with a dead body, she'd had him thinking. That she was like every other entitled rich-bitch Northsider with nothing but disgust in her eyes for the poor thug who had nothing more than his anger and the leather jacket he wore like a second layer of skin – he thought she was the worst.  
For a while.  
He'd made the mistake of getting to know her. And then he was thinking things like how sad she looked when she thought no one was watching. Or how pretty she was on the rare occasion she smiled. Or that she was so goddamn difficult all the time because it was the only way she knew how to keep from being hurt.  
Those were the thoughts that stuck.

And so when Lane came to the Sheriff's office and figured out a way to get him and every other Serpent that'd been arrested during the raid released, he'd stopped thinking. Or at least he'd stopped thinking of excuses why he didn't want this, why he didn't want her. He dropped Toni and Fangs off so they could go to the street race and he drove Lane to Tall Boy's home, and as they stood in the doorway with her asking what was wrong with him he bent down to kiss her.

Lane had seen it coming for a while. Eventually his relentless stare that bored into hers with loathing and distrust had softened, his eyes left hers to notice other parts of her. So even though it was a surprise, she'd seen it coming. And she quickly raised a hand catching his mouth, meeting his hurt stare before he masked it with anger.  
"We can continue the borderline friendly bickering, or go back to hating each other if you'd like. But we can't do this." She didn't wanna go back to him hating her, at some point she'd stupidly allowed herself to depend on his being there. Not that she'd ever tell him that.

There was something too warm in his chest and it made him want to lash out, to break something, anything to make this feeling go away. "Still think you're too good for this?" he demanded harsher than he meant.

"Sure," was her calm reply. She watched him scoff in a way that was both infuriated and disappointed before he left slamming the door behind him. And with him gone she wilted a little realizing it was back to hating each other. Sweet Pea had been there for her from the moment her world imploded when Lodge decided to send someone after her again, he hadn't wanted anything to do with her but he'd still been there. And now he wasn't, and she didn't know how to go back to doing this alone.

...

He was distant now, he stopped coming with Fangs to pick her up from the garage, wouldn't look at her when she and Fangs came by the Wyrm, didn't go home with her when she was tired of being out. "It's not fair," Fangs told her as they sat on the couch. "He won't tell me what happened."

"Then I won't either," Lane answered simply.

Fangs groaned slumping back, having honestly thought at the very least her and Sweet Pea might've been friends. "You know he's helping the snake charmer."

Lane turned to him unhappy at hearing that, knowing exactly where that was leading. "Yeah, Jughead's been talking to me about her." He wanted to get rid of Penny, he wasn't sure how yet but his father was only digging a deeper grave for himself and more Serpents were gonna get dragged in. The more Lane heard about this woman, the more Lane was thinking killing her might be the only solution.

Jughead was wholeheartedly against it, still trying to bring morality to his role within a gang. They talked round and round the next day about what would drive Penny away with the certainty she wouldn't come crawling back for revenge, and though Lane eventually dropped the idea of murder she still wasn't convinced Jughead was right. But she eventually grew bored of the conversation. "Is Kevin's secret santa today?" she asked instead.

There'd been no lead in, no moment of pause to let him know the conversation was over it just suddenly was. And that was just so like her, it almost made Jughead smile. "It is."

"Go to my house, in the top drawer of my desk is a gift for my secret santa."

He didn't feel like smiling anymore, instead his mouth pulled tight in a frown. "You're supposed to be hiding," he reminded her. Whether or not it was his fault she ended up at the sheriff's office he still wasn't happy about her having gone, it put her too close to Lodge and only by a minor miracle had he not yet heard she was here.

Now it was Lane frowning and she resisted the urge to hit him. "First of all, dumb ass, it's not a secret if my name's on it," she reminded him rather rudely, seeing the way he clenched his jaw. "And second, if anyone asks say I called you."

Still bitter over her being a bitch he ground out, "and what should I say when anyone asks why you chose to call me? It's clearly not out of any real care on your part."

This time he knew from the look that flashed across her face she was physically trying not to hit him. "Because I'm not your secret santa, and you're the only other one I actually tolerate out of that group."

He still didn't appreciate her tone. "Why are you even doing secret santa? You don't celebrate Christmas," he demanded as they came around the front of the trailer park, which they'd been walking around as they talked.

"You really think I had a choice in the matter?" she asked instead, and knowingly he nodded because he knew how she could get. "If I apologize for calling you a dumb ass will you take a video?"

Still frowning his eyes hardened unamused. "I take it that's my apology?" he asked, rhetorically because they both knew she'd never actually apologize.

She did hit him this time but in a more friendly manner as she clapped his arm and walked to where Fangs stood having noticed her. "There's my favorite grump," Fangs greeted with a wide grin. "What about you not celebrating Christmas?"

She wasn't surprised he'd been eavesdropping, she was however surprised by a sour-faced Sweet Pea glowering beside him. The first time in what felt like weeks since he'd stomached being this close to her. "I'm Jewish," she told Fangs, watching his mouth round to a silent, 'o'. "What's going on?"

"I have a thing," he told her vaguely, knowing if he said anything she would find someway of figuring it out. "And Toni's working so Sweet Pea's gotcha today." That wasn't entirely true, but Sweet Pea was one of the only ones against Lane joining the Serpents. Now, at least.

Before she could object, which she didn't care enough too but Sweet Pea did and he was the more vocal of the two and had already given an earful, Fangs quickly left leaving them stuck together for the next few hours.

Sweet Pea wouldn't look at her so she rolled her eyes and turned the direction of Tall Boy's house, which was only five minutes down the road. And she walked with her arms wrapped around herself trying to fight the cold hearing his angry shuffling beside her. "How was your day?" felt safe enough to ask.

"I'm not answering that."

She turned to him with a brow cocked and told him in a stern tone, "try again."

Grinding his teeth he answered, "fine."

"Better," she grumbled turning back to the sidewalk. A rather biting wind crept over her and she shivered pulling tighter in on herself. It wasn't but a few steps after that an irritable growl sounded beside her before the weight of his jacket fell over her thin shoulders. And without thanks she pulled her arms through and nestled in his warmth. "Ass," she muttered.

He shoved her and without missing a beat she turned smacking his arm. It was familiar, something close to what they'd been before he ruined it. And it hurt to be there with her still wanting her and now knowing she didn't want him.

They didn't say anything else, they went inside and sat on the couch watching TV. There was such distance between them it was like a tangible keeping them apart, and Lane truly regretted that when he was still the only person she trusted. It was a couple hours into their long night that his phone buzzed, and he pulled it out of his pocket having enough time to realize it was Lane's before she'd snatched it from him.

Looking him in the eye Lane answered the call and gave a quiet, "I take it you got my present." She was supposed to be hiding, she wasn't supposed to be answering her phone – all of this she knew, and it's why Sweet Pea's eyes were so dark, but it was Christmas and Lane had never missed it before. She moved to the door, hearing the achingly familiar voice on the other end, "thought you'd like it."

There was something so unbearably warm in Lane's voice as she spoke, and Sweet Pea blinked as she stepped outside to sit on the front step. And out of nothing but needy curiosity he inched closer and listened to the one sided conversation.

"I have to stay away," Lane said in answer to why she wasn't there. "It's just what has to happen right now." She paused as the other person spoke and then almost sadly replied, "yeah, maybe I should've brought you with me. You'd hate it here, but," she trailed off – _not as much as I hate you being gone_ – "yeah," Lane agreed quietly. She hated it too. Their goodbyes were quiet, reluctant, having never gone this long without each other.

And with a sigh Sweet Pea sat on the step beside her after she'd hung up. "It has nothing to do with me being a Serpent," he said not needing to ask. She'd never shown any sign of the typical Northside prejudice against the Serpents, that was only ever in his head.

Looking up at his uncharacteristically calm face she gave him a simple, "no." Turning back to the dark cold night she exhaled heavily and let her head fall to his shoulder, feeling the same kind of safe she only felt with him. "You said you wouldn't leave me," she said in a soft breath of a voice.

The burning he felt in his chest this time he knew to be shame. "I was still looking out for you."

"I know."

But it wasn't the same, even he'd felt it though he hadn't wanted to. She looked out for him just as much as he did her, time and again she'd proved to have his back and even he'd come to count on that. He could deal with being friends. "Just tell me it's not that douchebag Bulldog," he said not thinking he could bear having to deal with him.

"Reggie?" she clarified, and smiled because if he only knew how much worse it was. "Not him, you big softie," she said smacking his arm lightly. And she settled leaning against him feeling his cheek resting over the top of her head, filling her with the kind of warmth that came with being cared for. Which she didn't feel too often, she'd miss this place terribly when she finally found a way to go home.  
It left her realizing what Fangs was doing, the reason for Toni's interrogatory questions that ended in them arguing over that damn dance. "You told Fangs why I won't do the serpent dance," she said knowing other than Reggie Sweet Pea was the only one who knew because she'd told him.

Sweet Pea shrugged not wanting to admit anything when it still felt too close. "When they understand it's not you thinking you're above it, they'd never ask you to do it."

"It was your idea," she said, admitting what he wouldn't.

He shrugged again. "It suits you," was easy to admit. She'd taken out a ghoulie for him and Fangs, she'd gotten Serpents out of jail twice, and they all noticed how often Jughead met with her and knew she was helping him with something. "And it gives you a family you don't have otherwise."

She'd been thinking it awhile, how much she'd miss this, that she'd finally found something that felt like home when her empty shell of a house felt more like a ghost story. She just hadn't considered it was all leading to this, but it felt right in a way like it'd been leading to this from the beginning. But she didn't know how to say any of that, she'd never really been good with feelings. What she ended up saying was, "does this mean you're done pouting?" With a face hardened in only mild annoyance he raised a hand to her face shoving her away from him, hearing her faint laughter that always made him want to smile. And this time he did.

…

The day after Lane became a Serpent another shot was taken at her. They'd been at the store, Sweet Pea and Fangs idling behind her as she gathered everything she needed for dinner and occasionally tossed things they wanted over her head into the cart. But Sweet Pea stilled at a red dot appearing on her back, and without really understanding what was happening his body lunged forward throwing her to the ground as a box of cereal exploded around them.

"Stay down," he told Fangs as he scooted him and Lane forward toward the end of the aisle. Another explosion this time a glass jar as a bullet struck it, and at seeing it'd missed his head by inches Sweet Pea jumped up dragging her quickly around the corner and running to the back. He didn't bother turning at the sick thuds against the wall knowing whoever was outside was still shooting. "You alright?" he asked when they were finally in the backroom of the store.

No, she wasn't alright. She'd almost died the first time and technically the second time, but there was something about this time that had her shaking. Looking up at Sweet Pea's blanched face she realized it was him, she cared too much about him and the thought of him dead scared her and that was where this was going. "We need to move," she said knowing they didn't have a lot of time. With his hand in hers she walked further down the dim hall toward the wide receiving bay where everything was brought in on trucks.

They shared a look and a nod before moving quickly. They picked a running truck, and as they came around the side of it seeing the driver Sweet Pea hit him, hard. And they left him lying on the ground unconscious as they backed the truck out and took off.

Lane had two choices, she'd always only ever had two choices – spend the rest of her life running, or rise up and face it. And Lane was good at a lot of things, but she was too stubborn to back down. Which is how the unlikely yet severely loyal pair found themselves in the Pembrooke in the dead of night. Sweet Pea stood over the guard they'd knocked out while Lane sat calmly in Hiram Lodge's study asking for her life back, making a vague threat against his daughter in the form of a photogram of a dead body she and Sweet Pea had wrapped in Christmas lights. They were at an impasse one Lane knew wouldn't last, but it'd last long enough for her to come up with something else. And really all she needed was time.

Sweet Pea took her home, or at least took her to Tall Boy's house, and she closed the door behind them and looked up at him - and they were done. Done at least for now. And the relief of that, of not having to worry every time she stepped outside, had them coming together with their arms held tight around each other. Just breathing.

"What now?" Sweet Pea asked with his chin resting over the top of her head.

Lane had never really been one for hugging, certainly not now that she really only had one person who tried – but she liked the safety she felt in his arms, the sense of security that he really wasn't gonna leave her. "I don't know," she answered honestly.

Her reluctance spoke volumes, that she wasn't jumping at the first chance to leave the Southside. "You can always stay," he said with a shrug. "You are a Serpent now."

"A Northside Serpent," she said pulling away and looking up at him, seeing his brows draw together.

"So you are gonna go back."

She gave him an inquisitive look, her head tilting slightly as she appraised him. "The plan's still to leave as soon as I graduate," she told him. "Only way I can stay is if Lodge goes, and I'm not banking on that."

Sweet Pea nodded knowing that, knowing it was the only thing she had going for her – but he could see that same reluctance in her eyes. She now had something she didn't wanna leave. But the part of him that couldn't seem to let her go had him asking, "you taking your boyfriend with you?"

A small laugh snuck out of her before she could catch it, and at the sight of his frown she brought a hand to her mouth as though to wipe off her grin. "This is mean even for me, but I can't wait to see your face," she said still laughing. Leaving him to unhappily follow her to the couch wondering what the hell was so funny.

…

Lane was set up at a table in the Wyrm finishing the last of her assignments before she started back at Riverdale High. She'd missed almost three months, it'd taken her the entirety of winter break to catch up and even then she still missed the first day.

"Guess who's coming to school with you tomorrow?" Fangs said plopping down across from her at the table, followed by Sweet Pea, Toni and Jughead.

Without looking up from her paper Lane raised a finger and finished what she was writing. At least a full quiet minute passed as they waited, because they knew Lane and she wasn't stopping until she wanted to. Finishing her thought she looked at Fangs, who was waiting expectantly. "What'd I miss?"

She listened as he told her the Southside was being shut down and they were all being bussed to different schools, but she was getting to keep the ones that mattered and Lane was selfish enough that was all she really cared about. "Think we'll have any classes together?" Fangs asked innocently.

Both Lane and Jughead fixed him with mirrored confused expressions. "No," was her simple answer.

"Still think you're better than us, Vivian?" Sweet Pea asked from beside her, his foot propped up on her chair.

"Yes," she answered without hesitation, fixing him with a wry look. "I'm so much better than you I'm in a-whole-nother grade." She turned back to her work hearing Fangs asking Jughead if she was a year older than them, but she felt heavy eyes warm on her face and she turned to Sweet Pea.

"You wearing your jacket tomorrow?" he asked, wondering where her head was at in all this.

She thought about it, about how much trouble it'd cause and whether she had the energy to deal with it. But she looked around her at these people who'd taken her in, unwillingly, and yet they'd made a space for her to stay.

…

Come next morning Lane looked around the school she'd spent so much of her time invested in like any part of it actually mattered, surrounded by faces she knew but none she ever missed.

A familiar cruel voice caught her ear. "Listen up ragamuffins. I will not allow Riverdale High's above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are overcrowded with underachievers. So please, do us all a favor and find some other school to deface with your hardscrabble ways."

"Why don't you come over here and say that to my face," Toni seethed stalking toward the stuck up self aggrandized girl who was the face of every reason they hated the Northside.

"Happily queen of the buskers," Cheryl said without backing down.

Archie stepped between them trying to play the voice of reason. Cheryl rolled her eyes unimpressed, in doing so they found a face she'd been missing for months. Her eyes widened as they raked Lane's form, Lane who wore the telltale leather of a Serpent.

Lane watched rage fill Cheryl's pretty features turning them into something almost ugly. Weatherbee ordered both sides to stand down and everyone to get to class, and though tension was still high they separated with Jughead ushering them out of this particular hallway so that everyone could just take a breath.

As she walked past Lane held Cheryl's infuriated stare, feeling her hateful eyes on her back catching sight of the tattoo on the back of her neck that was only visible because Lane intentionally chose to wear her up. "You gonna start a fight if I leave you?" Lane asked looking up at Sweet Pea, whose expression was still dark having almost started something with Reggie.

He scoffed nudging her in a way that could've been considered fond. "Only if they ask for it," was his smart response. Because everyone was asking for it today, and at that point he knew she'd have his back even if he was at fault.

He found her two periods later by nothing more than happenstance and he threw his back against the locker beside hers with a heavy sigh while she switched out books. "Lunch?" he asked refusing to hope. Another sigh when she said yes, relieved this time. "Anyone try anything?" he asked wondering what this day was like for her. They were Southside scum but Lane, she was supposed to be one of them.

There were a lot of stares and a lot of talking, but so far nothing was said to her. "It helps most of the people here are scared of me."

"Yeah, you and your tiny fists."

She didn't buy his scoff, and with a brow cocked she looked up at him. "Are you scared of my tiny fists?" she asked seeing the way he rolled his eyes, a smirk pulling at his mouth.

As she closed her locker he pushed off the one he leaned against and followed her down the hall, noticing the way most everyone stared at her. "Hell yeah," he agreed, "you hit me all the time."

She chuckled faintly at that, still remembering his complete and utter surprise the first time she smacked him. Before she could respond a shrill cry sounded behind them. "You vile, wretched, gutter-"

"Stop," Lane said in a commanding tone as she turned to where Cheryl was marching toward her. And she told Cheryl very plainly, "start over."

Taking a breath Cheryl collected herself as much as she was able. "How dare you?" she demanded.

"Better," Lane said, reaching a hand to grab Sweet Pea before he could move around her and place himself between them.

For two entire months Cheryl had been left with Lane's absence thinking she'd skipped town, that she left her without a word of explanation or a single reason why. Abandoned, that's what Cheryl had felt. And then the secret santa gift and the phone call with Lane sounding so horribly sad and wanting, and now here she stood in a Serpent jacket looking more beautiful than she had any goddamn right. And it made her want to say the meanest things. "If you think, for one second, I would ever stoop so low as to be with someone who is now the physical embodiment of dumpster diving then Lane Noa Vivian you have another thing co-"  
Her words were smothered beneath Lane's mouth and Cheryl hummed as though still trying to speak before a breath left her and she gave in, the way she always did. And it felt like coming home, the way Lane had always felt.

Feeling her sigh Lane pulled back, knowing they needed to talk things through before they could be okay. "Cher, I love you but I'm gonna need you to dial back the crazy in order for this to work," she told her with stark honesty, the way they only were with each other. Cheryl opened her mouth wanting to speak, but it was still only filled with hate. So Lane raised a finger to her cherry red lips and told her softly, "think about it."

She smacked Sweet Pea's arm to spur him on and they walked away, with Cheryl standing in the middle of the hallway watching her leave. Her mouth opened and "I love you too," fell out.

With an almost sweet grin Lane turned to look at her. "I know," she told the only person left that she loved. Cheryl would get over it, she'd drag her feet and pitch a holy fit but she'd get there. And after leaving without a word to let her know why, Lane was prepared to wait as long as Cheryl needed.

Sweet Pea walked in stupefied quiet beside her, he'd been stuck with his mouth open from the moment he realized that was the boyfriend. "Seriously?" was all he could come up with. No wonder Toni had continuously tried to talk him out of Lane, she'd known the whole time.  
Lane looked up at him adorably confused yet slow-understanding face and couldn't help the laugh that escaped her. He pushed her lightly. "You're an ass," he told her, realizing this is the face she'd been waiting to see. "Does she get better?" he asked finding that he couldn't understand why unfeeling Lane was with such an emotionally explosive person, and yet at the same time finding that there was something about them that just fit.

If it were possible Lane laughed harder, which was really nothing more than a series of chuckles but now her eyes were starting to water. "You were worried about Reggie," she said in between breaths. And after another round of laughter she continued, "she is so much worse."

Rolling his eyes he fought the smile pulling at his mouth and ultimately lost, and he reached a hand to her face and shoved her lightly. With a smile of her own she looked up at him, and he stared down at her finding in that moment he was really glad she was there. He took a breath and let it go, and he threw his arm around her shoulder as they walked down the hall together.

* * *

 _So this was just a bit of fun, because Cheryl and Toni might be the only relationship on this show I actually like. But Cheryl and Lane just had a fun dynamic and I couldn't resist._

 _Sneak peek: I'm thinking next chapter is going to be a snapshot of some of Reggie's POV regarding Lane, and her relationship with Sweet Pea. This was suggested by wickedgirl123, who I am so thankful to for their kindness and wonderful review._


	6. Queen Of The Dead - part one

__This idea might sound familiar to a few of you. It's of Tall Boy's daughter who left the Serpents and joined the Ghoulies, the details of which and whether she left willingly will be revealed. It was a story I was working on a few months ago and then dropped, and I decided to use the idea and form it around Lane. But, this is a VERY different Lane. It heavily features Malachai, as well as your boy Sweet Pea (cause I can't resist these two together).__

* * *

 **VI. Queen Of The Dead - part one**

He woke with her beside him, a hand curled under her chin, her hair fallen in her face. She was usually awake before him, but he'd woken to her for so long he wasn't sure it was possible to exist without her. There was an unusual softness in the way he brushed the hair out of her face, his thumb grazing her warm cheek.

"Morning," Malachai said at the sight of Lane's pale green eyes as she blinked.

Her sleep addled brain was too slow to catch her smile, feeling the ghost of his lips on her cheek. But the moment passed, as all moments do, and they hardened in the only way they knew how to be to each other.

Climbing over him she felt his hand graze her thigh – on a good morning she'd smirk and settle on top of him with her legs spread around him, on a bad morning she still would. But that morning she grabbed her robe and maneuvered around the sleeping bodies tangled together on the floor.

He found her in the kitchen making coffee, and he moved to her back with his hands grasping her arms and his mouth on her neck kissing the bruise he'd left the night before. Pulling the robe off her shoulders so that it slipped down her body gathering at their feet he bent her over the table, and she laid there feeling the hand he'd set on the back of her head curl into a fist around her hair. She waited for him to finish, but instead of letting her go and leaving he laid over her with his mouth against her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked, knowing it always surprised her when he bothered to notice.

She almost told him, she opened her mouth and the truth almost fell out. But it held fast to her tongue refusing to let go, and she told him instead, "it's a feeling."

He hated her feelings, they almost always turned into something. As if on cue a throat cleared to their left. Malachai made the mistake of sitting up to address them, giving Lane enough room to snatch her cover-up off the floor and put it back on. Before she could tie it his hand fastened around her arm pulling her back to the table and pushing her so that she sat on the edge of it. With a gleam in his dark eyes he told both her and the one who'd interrupted them, "she hasn't come yet."

With a sigh she watched his curly head sink between her thighs, and she slammed her hands on the table behind her to keep from falling when he suddenly pulled her legs over his shoulders. She could feel him grinning against her. An almost satisfied breath left her parted lips as her head fell back. "What is it?" she asked turning with glazed eyes to where Gray stood waiting.

He hesitated as he looked between them, and had it been any other information he would've kept his mouth shut until Malachai was done with her. "The Sheriff's office raided the high school, they grabbed everyone they could get their hands on – ours and the Serpents."

"What?" Malachai cried as he stood, addressing his second in command.

As he stalked off to see what damage had been done Lane slid off the table and calmly continued making her coffee. An hour later she sat in the bathroom of the pharmacy staring at the chipped stall door as she waited with even breaths, at her feet lay an opened box for a pregnancy test. Her phone buzzed as the timer ran out and she looked down at the test in her hand seeing the unmistakable second line.

Releasing a heavy breath she tossed it and the rest of the kit she hadn't paid for in the trash before leaving. For the past couple weeks, the past few days mainly, she'd noticed a change in the air, a sense of tension – a feeling. It wasn't until she got home and climbed out of her car seeing Gray standing opposite a tall man with long hair donning a Serpent jacket that she finally understood.

"He wants to talk to Malachai," Gray told her, having been about to send someone down.

Passing the Serpent without a second glance Lane replied, "I'll let him know," and went inside.

Malachai was sitting back in his chair wearing the robe she'd had on earlier, and he smiled when he saw her. "Hey birdie," he greeted, the sharp curve of his mouth making it clear he wanted to finish what he'd started. But his expression quickly fell when hers didn't change.

"My father wants an audience," she informed him, watching as he first tensed then coiled.

For several long seconds he was quiet, today having been a long time coming, but he took a breath and looked to the first person he saw behind her. "Bring him in," he commanded and turned back to Lane. He moved and without word she complied, sitting on the armrest feeling his arm come around her waist possessively.

Her alliance was made clear the moment Tall Boy saw them, the boy was slouched back in obvious control but she sat regally at his side with her legs crossed and her arm around his shoulders. They listened to his call for the gangs to unite against the Northside, inciting war, and then Malachai countered looking for how it benefited them when they still outnumbered the Serpents. All the while Lane sat a quiet observer, Malachai was greedy and he was looking at this as a way to take from the Serpents, but her father was something else – wanted something else.

The last three years now seemed like a lifetime to Tall Boy, if she didn't look so much like her mother he might not have recognized her. Her once round youthful face had thinned elegantly, no longer his little girl. Eighteen was still impossibly young but there was something about her eyes that made her look older. That pale haunting stare.

"That'll be Jughead," Tall Boy said when his phone rang.

Considering her options Lane sat up sliding out of Malachai's grasp. "I'll get him," she said before he could grab her. "Let's give him a friendly face."

Jughead walked through unfamiliar worn down territory feeling several pairs of eyes on him the further he went. From the ripped jeans and studded jackets Jughead knew exactly who he was now dealing with, the question was why. A heavy metal door creaked as it was forced open and he paused catching sight of an impressively tall girl only a few years older than him, and the closer she came the more familiar he found her.

"You're FP's kid," she stated, not needing to ask. She could see the resemblance. And she watched his eyes narrow as he tried to figure out why he knew her. "It's been a while Bug."

His eyes widened slightly at hearing that nickname for the first time in at least ten years. "Lane," he said realizing hers was the name that went with the story. "You're the Serpent who joined the Ghoulies."

Her smile was anything but nice. "Is that what your father's saying?" She wasn't looking for an answer and she didn't wait for one, she turned giving a short, "keep up," and made her way back to the building that served as her home.

"What happened?" he asked sticking close to her back as she moved easily through the Ghoulies that now crowded around the door.

It was wrenched open for her and she stepped inside where all light was snuffed out, and she turned to Jughead who looked at her in the shadows. "You're not here for me," she said before leading him downstairs, where they were enveloped by the warm glow of candlelight.

As Lane leaned against the wall beside him Jughead looked around realizing this was the heart of the Ghoulies, their home, their base of operation. Holding her tongue, as expected of her, Lane listened to their back and forth as Jughead slowly understood what Tall Boy was asking for. She liked the kid's nerve.

"The Northside declared war today," said Tall Boy, done with childish arguments. "Your old man ain't here to call the shots. And yeah, I'm his right hand, that makes me de facto leader here and now. Things are changing, Jones. Either you change with them, or suffer the consequences."

Jughead stared at the older man in quiet understanding, betrayed. Malachai smiled. "Evolve or die, baby," he told the Serpent prince. "Evolve or die."

A hand on his arm had Jughead flinching and he turned seeing Lane's unreadable face. "I'll walk you out," she offered quietly, and Jughead shook his head refusing because he couldn't leave it like this. "You won't get anywhere today."

He found that to be true, it was clear Tall Boy's mind was made up and Jughead's allies were currently sitting behind bars. So he followed her back upstairs, finding that after even a few minutes in the stifling dim the sunlight almost burned his eyes. "Where do you stand in all this?" he asked, unsure whose side she was on. She didn't dress like a Ghoulie, and she held herself with an air of calm that wasn't befitting of one either.

"No," was her simple, curt, reply as she took him back to where he'd parked his bike. She turned to see him unhappily staring back at her, thinking she was refusing to answer. "What do you really wanna ask me?" she posed instead. And when his mouth opened she quickly covered it with her hand. "Think about it."

His brows drew together confused, not knowing her well enough to figure out what she wanted from him. He didn't really know her at all. The obvious question was whether she was with the Ghoulies, and he was gathering that she didn't want obvious. So he thought harder, smarter, and arrived at a question that would tell him more. "Do you think I should agree to this alliance?"

He watched the corner of her mouth curl, that was the right question and she'd given her answer – no. Before he could think anything further she turned her back to him. "Don't waste time leaving," she told him as she walked away.

.^.

Lane found herself awake early the next day, the kind of early that couldn't be considered morning but too late to still consider night. His head was on her chest and his arms around her, and she lay with a hand in his hair enjoying the weight of him over her. As though needing him to hold her down.

He woke hours later in the warmth of her arms, it took him a few tries before consciousness stuck with him and when it did he turned into her pressing wet kisses over her chest. Her hands on his shoulders forced him back and he released a heavy breath as he watched her climb off the bed without a word.

She showered and made breakfast for the others, and was standing in the kitchen sipping her coffee when she felt him at her back. And they stayed that way for a time, his arms around her and his cheek warm on her temple as she leaned against him. But a breath too deep passed between them breaking the spell and he turned her around holding up a striped straw.

Looking from it to Malachai she took it from him and ripped the top open, and he opened his mouth letting her feed it to him. She kissed him, open mouthed, licking it off his tongue. And when there was nothing but the taste of him left she pulled away catching her breath.

"There's my smile," he softly said gazing down at her pretty pale eyes with her pupils blown. His arms came around her as he pulled her closer, watching her blink slowly up at him.

He could be so sweet sometimes, but she almost hated him the rest of it. Or maybe she hated herself – some days she couldn't tell the difference.

They were dancing when the call came, hips swaying in time with an old crooning song she thought her dad used to play in the car. He spun her around and she settled with her back against him feeling him slide a hand up to her chest while the other settled low on her stomach to keep her pressed against him. A warm choked breath was forced from his lungs and it curled around her ear in a way she almost shivered, and from the way his rhythm fell off beat she knew they wouldn't last til the end of the song.

"Serpents are on their way for another meeting," Gray told them, almost able to hear how loudly Malachai sighed at another interruption. And from the dark way he looked at him Gray knew he'd pay for it this time.

Kissing her shoulder Malachai let her go and stepped away, hesitating in the doorway as he watched her still dancing. Uninhibited and alone. A small part of him noticed she didn't seem bothered by the loss of him. A larger part of him, closest to her, wanted to stay. But in the end he left her, like he always did.

When the song ended she replayed it, her body still swaying to the sad pleading voice. "If you ever change your mind about leaving," she sang along, her voice a lighter sweeter melody, "leaving me behind. Baby, bring it to me. Bring your sweet lovin Bring it on home to me." And she turned as if in knowing and looked at her father.

"You always did love this song," Tall Boy said remembering the impassioned way she used to sing it when she was younger, eyes closed and with all of her soul.

She looked at his old weathered face, it looked like more than three years had passed for him. __I know you laughed when you left. But now I know I only hurt myself. Baby, bring it to me__ "Why didn't you fight for me?" she asked in a voice so quiet she sounded young.

"I tried," he offered with a half-hearted shrug.

What little softness in her that she'd saved for him turned to stone, not caring for his pleading eyes. "Why didn't you try harder?"

He'd been asking himself that since he saw her yesterday, seeing for the first time the misery he'd left her to. The only comfort he'd been able to find was a lie – she never wanted this. And there would be no words for her, she'd never forgive him. She'd never forgive them. A door opened upstairs and he swallowed. "That'll be Jughead," he said stepping back.

It curled a cruel smile on her mouth seeing past his guilt to the part of him incapable of admitting what he'd done. "Yeah," was her cold reply as she turned the music off and moved around him.

It was easy to find her in the dark gothic candlelit room, she sat atop a coffin they used as a table in a powder blue robe with her legs crossed and her hair down. She looked soft, she was the only thing there that did. But a long lanky skull-wearing form stood in front of Jughead and he looked up at Malachai, who didn't like the way the kid was looking at his girl.

"Me and my boy want to challenge you to a race," Jughead said, standing with a cautious Archie at his back. The faintest of smiles graced Lane's lips, knowing who gave Jughead that idea – it wasn't a nice smile because she also knew how FP felt about her. "If we win," Jughead continued, "the Serpents remain autonomous and you quit dealing at Southside High."

She watched Malachai consider that, knowing he'd never back down. It wasn't in his blood. "And if we win?" he posed, wondering what the Jones kid had in mind. If it was enough to whet his appetite.

"We fold," Jughead reluctantly admitted. "And you will continue polluting the Southside with your little straws of death."

It wasn't enough. Malachai glanced at Lane out of the corner of his eye seeing her watching him, waiting for his next move. "So, the mighty Serpent prince has some stones, but not much else," he all but sneered. "So unless your highness wants to put some of daddy's territory on the table, I got no reason to agree to this race."

Almost before he finished the door was forced open and Vern charged in as two well dressed girls were dragged in behind him. "They were following me, trying to get in the garage," he explained to Malachai as he stopped in the place between him and Lane.

The four out of place teens greeted each other with a mix of alarm and surprise asking what they were doing there, both girls and boys having come with vaguely similar intention.

Lane observed the scene before her, reading between the lines until she figured which girl went with which boy. Malachai of course was furious, not only that the girls had gotten this close but in his mind Jughead and his boy had brought them. "Why don't you take your skanks and get the hell out of here. Until you make me a better offer there'll be no race."

Jughead needed this, with Tall Boy wanting an alliance and having more say with the Serpents he was bound to convince them. The Serpents would never recover. "If you win, we'll give you the Whyte Wyrm. You can expand your drug-dealing horizons and upgrade out of this literal hellhole." It was the only chip he had to bargain, or the only one he thought he had.

"We'll take the Wyrm," Malachai agreed, but he was greedy and he wanted it all, "and Sunnyside trailer park."

That'd leave the Serpents with nothing, not even their homes. But Jughead was quickly realizing with the Ghoulies it was an all or nothing kind of game, and as though drawn his eyes flicked to the left of the older boy where Lane waited with a calm patience. He remembered what his father said when Jughead asked about her; __leave that girl exactly where she is__. But there was something about her eyes, about her warning him against aligning with the Ghoulies. "And we'll take back what's ours," Jughead added.

Malachai's brows drew together as he looked behind him, following Jughead's stare, to see Lane. It wasn't exactly what she thought would happen but it was more or less what she wanted. But his agreement took her by momentary surprise, and she watched Jughead and Malachai share a heavy look and a curt nod before he and his three Northsiders left.

When they were gone Malachai turned back to her seeing a sharpened edge to her stare and he knew he'd made a mistake. But he was arrogant, believing he was the one calling the shots and that she was still just the Serpent pawn. Without a word she grabbed the front of his robe and pulled him into her with her legs wrapped tight around his slender hips, and she looked up at him through her lashes seeing him swallow heavily – one of these days he'd figure out which one of them was the pawn.

…

She climbed out the car looking between the Ghoulies and the Serpents and the Northsiders, all staying within their collective units. These were things she usually didn't care enough to attend, but as she was part of the deal she found herself standing beside Malachai feeling his hand in her back pocket as he sized up Jughead and his ride.

"She'll stay with me," came a low gravelly voice.

They both turned to address Tall Boy but before Malachai could snidely refuse Lane gave a quick, "fine." She turned to her curly headed boy seeing the faintest hint of hurt feelings behind his angry eyes and she gave him a playful smile. "Fraid you're gonna lose?"

He grinned having nothing but confidence and smacked her ass as she stepped away. As soon as her back was turned her face straightened to one of such unfeeling that if not for her watchful burning eyes she could've passed for a corpse.

She looked more like a Ghoulie, wearing ripped jeans and a dark shirt with sleeves that hung off her shoulders. The Serpents tensed at the sight of her, only the older ones actually knowing her but a lot of the younger ones who'd joined after she'd gone knew it was her from the way she stood next to Tall Boy.

"That is a lot of woman," Toni mused looking from her wide hips to her generous chest, finding the only part of her she'd gotten from Tall Boy was her height. She had to be close to six feet tall. Sweet Pea sat on his bike in front of her not falling for it.

A red cup appeared in front of her and Lane turned to a blonde bearded boy she thought she might've known, but it seemed like so long ago. She took his offer of beer without thanks and turned back to the group in front of her, her gaze continuing to stray to the redheaded Northsider Jughead brought with him. There was something about the way he looked around them, cagey.

"Let's do this," Tall Boy called stepping forward. "Get those cars up on the road."

Lane stood quietly while Malachai flashed her a toothy grin and climbed back in his car, sparing the brief thought of warning him something was up. But the selfish part of her she hated most held her ground. When they were in position he and Jughead shook hands agreeing once more to the terms of the race before they were behind the wheel again. Another thought to warn him, louder this time and more desperate. But still she stayed. The signal was given and with the squeal of tires they were gone, and she released the breath she'd unknowingly been holding.

"Why's the traitor with us?" Sweet Pea demanded when he and the others made their way back to their designated ground.

Lane found herself staring at the darkest pair of hateful eyes, and she looked away knowing her lack of care would only ignite him further. "She's part of the deal," Tall Boy answered for her, hearing their unhappy murmurings. He had half a mind to take her now, skip town and do away with it all. But Lane had gotten her selfish greed from him, and he wanted the Serpents for himself. He wouldn't give it up, not even for her.

They were quieted when one of her boys came running. "Everyone scatter! The cops are rounding up Ghoulies."

Serpents and Ghoulies alike started running, knowing how hard the cops would come down on them – and most of them had just gotten out of jail after the school was raided. Lane was struck by a sudden wave of sentiment, but before she could step towards where Gray was rushing to her Tall Boy grabbed her arm pulling her back. "She stays with us til this is sorted," he told the other boy through grit teeth. He didn't see the look his daughter shared with the Ghoulie that had him leaving, all he knew was they were now gone and she was still with him. He shoved her toward the nearest Serpent, which happened to be Fangs. "Get her to the Wyrm, she's not to leave."

Fangs looked up at her, finding she was a couple inches taller than him, thinking if she wanted to get away he probably wouldn't be able to stop her. But she climbed on his bike and settled at his back with her arms loose around him, letting him drive off with her. She made him nervous, it was the quiet way in which she stared that had him feeling like a bug realizing too late it was about to be stepped on. He held the door open for her and was left stunned by her pretty smile as she thanked him before walking into the near empty bar, he had to clear his dry throat before following her.

"Hey little bird," was Hog Eye's slow greeting, cautious. He slid her a shot of tequila, her usual.

Serpents began trickling in as they arrived from the race, waiting for Jughead who'd started it to tell them what to do because the Ghoulies were likely to come after them for calling the cops. Suspicious glares were thrown at her, not so quiet whispers spoken, and she sat with a haughty grace nursing a cigarette casing the place.

Tall Boy stormed in making a beeline for her, their best bet at making it out of this unscathed. "Can you call your dogs off or do we need to prepare for war?"

Her eyes were the kind of cold he felt the temperature around him drop – he was willing to bargain her for peace with the Ghoulies, again. "From what I've seen Jughead's vote holds as much weight as yours, and he's not here yet." Her tone was a sweet coo, and it had his hand tightening into a fist as he scowled. But he backed off, or at least he stood behind where she sat quietly and ignored the want to touch her.

Finally Jughead came in, having dropped Betty off with the promise to talk later. And he made his way to Lane the moment he saw her, with Sweet Pea and Toni flanking him. "I had nothing to do with setting him up, I swear," Jughead was quick to tell her, not entirely knowing where her loyalty lay.

"It was your Northside rent boy," she calmly replied.

He hesitated at that and released a breath as his brows drew together confused. "You knew?"

She shrugged. "Not the details. But your boy's an easy read."

"And you didn't warn Malachai?" He was trying to goad her into the answer he wanted, that she'd done it for the Serpents, that loyalty hadn't been burned out of her vocabulary. The Ghoulies would be discussing retaliation, they could have the proof it wasn't a Serpent and they'd still come after them for the principle of it all – she was the Serpent's only hope.

"And ruin my only chances of getting out?" she posed instead, seeing the moment realization dawned. She slowly rose to her feet noticing the small way he leaned back. "Yeah, Bug, you got played," she said with contrived sympathy. "Good thing we wanted the same thing."

He took that in stride needing her more than he wanted to dislike her. "So what do you want now?"

With a small unamused laugh she shook her head. "I'm already out, now you're the one wanting. So let me make this easy for you; we can barter a temporary reprieve with the Ghoulies, but if you sell me to them for peace the way your father did I will tell them you're responsible for Malachai's arrest." It was that simple, and she blinked expectantly at him as he thought it over.

There was a lot to digest: she was willing to call the Ghoulies off, she wouldn't be left with them, and she hadn't gone with them willingly the first time. Her eyes stared so hard he could almost feel their weight on his face. "Okay," Jughead relented seeing her brow raise in question. "I'll say we're keeping you as a retainer."

She almost smiled; it's what FP had called her three years ago. Gray would know what it meant, and after they left he'd tell the others she was still their girl.

"You, myself, and Tall Boy will meet with them."

But she shook her head. "No."

From her right came a gruff seething voice. "You've got a lot of nerve, traitor, thinking you can come in our house"

"Don't interrupt," she snapped in a low firm voice turning to the tall dark boy, holding his eye with an unyielding stare. And while his nostrils flared his mouth closed, and she turned back to Jughead. "Not my father," she told him.

Tall Boy scoffed behind her, thinking for a moment she was being a brat. It was a mistake trying to handle her like one. "In case you forgot, little girl, I'm the only one they know."

Her gaze remained set on Jughead not acknowledging the man at her back. "He wanted the alliance."

And there was no way of knowing whether Tall Boy would try to call for it again, and even with Malachai gone the Ghoulies still outnumbered the Serpents. So Jughead turned to Sweet Pea, whose size alone was intimidating. "You good to do this?" Jughead asked him, and waited as Sweet Pea nodded curtly. And then he turned to Lane, who still waited with the same dead-faced expression. "Are you fine with him?" At her uncaring sure he nodded and took a breath as though there was any way to prepare for this. "I'll get my dad's truck and pick you guys up."

Lane watched Jughead leave, and instead of looking to her father who was glowering behind her she turned to the boy with the dark eyes who was still seething. "Thank you," she told him softly, "for letting us finish." She watched his angry face slacken with wary confusion, and she softened her own face in a way she knew made her look almost pleasant. "What's your name?"

"Sweet Pea," he answered through clenched teeth, waiting for the snicker or contempt that always came when he said his name. It didn't. Without warning her hand was suddenly holding his chin, tipping his face more towards her as though she were appraising it. He didn't think anyone had ever looked at him this close.

She felt him swallow, uncomfortable. "It's nice to meet you, Sweetie."

"Sweet Pea," he corrected, his voice uncharacteristically quieted.

She smiled at him and gave an amused, "okay." Releasing her hold on him she gently nudged his chin, as though telling him to raise it high. As he blinked bewitched and unknowing, she turned her back on him and returned to the bar looking for another drink.

With her pale haunting eyes finally off him Sweet Pea was able to shake himself out of whatever daze he'd fallen in and remembered he was supposed to hate her. Clearing his throat he felt his chest warm as he moved closer to the bar, waiting with her for Jughead to drive them to the House of the Dead.

* * *

 _ _If anyone is actually interested in reading more, part two would have more of Sweet Pea as these two feel each other out. as well as fleshing this Lane out more And depending on how long it is (which come on it's me, it'll be long) this might be a three part one shot. Maybe even a four part if anyone is actually interested in me carrying it over to what's going on in season 3.__


	7. Snapshot - You're The Worst

****VII. Snapshot: You're The Worst****

She hadn't wanted to come. Nothing about that was unusual for Lane, however the fact that Reggie finally convinced her to was in fact unusual. It was a party thrown every year before summer ended, the fact that Jason was still missing not yet known to be dead was only a small shadow on an otherwise good time.

Students milled in and out of the house carrying plastic cups and wide lazy smiles, a few held little baggies or striped straws in their greedy hands planning to make their own fun. Lane stood against a wall in the living room separate from the rest talking to a girl in her grade that Reggie didn't really know. The other girl was wearing tight jeans and a shirt that hung an inch above her waist and a shy unsure smile as she looked around the crowded slightly drunk room. And then a senior with a wolfish grin idled over, his eyes first set on Lane who shot him down without a word before turning to her less fair companion who was more eager to take his hand and 'go somewhere more quiet.'

Shaking his head Reggie made his way to her, wondering if he could coerce a dance out of her, but a hand on his arm had him turning. "Hey man," Liam, a broad-shouldered boy Lane's age, said with a wide not quiet nice smile. "You got anything?"

"What kinda time you looking for?" Reggie asked him.

His smile grew. "The kind you don't remember."

Reggie didn't think anything of it, he never did. He pulled a baggie out of his pocket, handed it to Liam with a knowing smirk, and then turned sidling up beside Lane. "You know when I said you should come I meant participate," he said standing with his back to the wall and his head turned to look down at her.

"That wasn't part of the agreement," she informed him in a bland manner.

It curled a smile on his mouth, and his gaze slipped past her face tracing the low cut of her dress that fell over the middle of her chest. She hadn't planned to wear a dress but he'd shown up at her empty house and took one look at her blouse and jeans before throwing her over his shoulder carrying to her room and tossed the first one he'd found in her closet at her. "You look nice," he told her quietly, lacking his usual cocksure façade. She had that effect on him.

"You always say that," she said without noticing. Or at least without seeming to.

He shrugged turning away from her, his gaze finding someone else. She was his age, more likely to fall for his advances, easier to make smile, half as pretty, and nowhere near as important.  
So he turned back to Lane, prepared to tell her she always looked nice, to use this night as a reason for her to start looking his way. But she was looking up at him with her pale green eyes and a knowing half smile. "She's cute," Lane told him, watching his scoff of a laugh as he turned back to the girl across the room who'd noticed him looking at her and now smiled.

"Well if you insist," he said with his mouth spread in an almost forced smirk. And he walked away, throwing a sarcastic "don't go anywhere" over his shoulder because they both knew she wouldn't. He was disappointed, his chest flushed with her clear rejection, and that made his smug arrogance flare as he talked up a girl he really didn't care about.

It left Lane alone across a crowded room with a loud bass throbbing and she turned at someone coming up beside her to see Liam with a plastic cup held at his mouth as though he'd just taken a sip. "This party's kinda lame," he said leaning down so he wouldn't have to yell. They had a few classes together, had had a few classes together for years and no matter how much he smiled one thing remained – she was a frigid bitch. So he talked to her, the cup staying in his hand, until finally she smiled at something he said. And with her guard down he extended the beer in friendly offering.

He didn't know how long it'd been, long enough the girl he didn't even care to remember the name of had drunk too much and started feeling sick. Reggie turned looking for Lane and found the place she'd once stood empty. It took him a few tries asking where she was, getting the same surprised response that she was even there, before someone finally told him, "she didn't look good, I think she went to the bathroom."

Climbing the stairs he turned down the hall and threw the door to the bathroom open startling the couple who sat on the counter making out. "You seen Lane?" he asked not caring for either of their startled cries for him to get out. When they told him no he slammed the door after him and tried every closed door he found, all revealed people in the throes of it having forgotten to lock it. Except the master bedroom, he turned the handle but it wouldn't give.

The music was too loud, even with his ear pressed to the door he couldn't hear anything. There was no reason for him to be on the other side of the door not even knowing if Lane was behind it, she wasn't interested in him, she was probably into whoever had convinced her to come up, Reggie should be back downstairs looking for an easy lay. But it was Lane, and the fact that she'd never hook up at a party she didn't want to be at or casually be into anyone had something in his stomach churning until it soured.

It took two tries before the frame splintered from how he kicked it, and he looked to the bed seeing the way Liam leapt to his feet pulling his pants up. "Hey man," Liam said with a strained cagey-eyed smile, "we're having a good time."

Reggie's blazing eyes rose from where Lane lay limp on the bed to a now defensive Liam who was stepping forward. His mind was slow to catch up to the movements of his body but there was loud clap and suddenly Reggie found himself on top of Liam pummeling the crap out of his sick face, his nose bending under fists that kept hitting over and over. He wasn't gonna stop til he was dead.

He didn't hear the door he'd slammed shut being thrown open, didn't hear Archie yelling for him to stop. All he saw was red. Archie got his arms around Reggie and dragged him off the bloody unconscious boy, feeling Reggie jerking violently wanting to keep laying into him but Archie kept a firm grip and turned him around.

His slow enraged mind suddenly slammed into focus as it came back around to Lane. "Alright," he told Archie trying to shrug him off him. "I'm calm, alright." All he needed was a little give and he shoved Archie back before he moved to the bed. Pulling her dress down Reggie knelt over her brushing the hair out of her face.

"No," her soft not even half-lucid voice croaked as her drug-weakened arms tried pushing at him, turning her tearstained face way.

"Hey," he said softly as he grabbed her, feeling her pulling away from him. "It's me, Lane, it's me." He held her arms against his chest feeling her still as she blinked up at him, recognizing him. His name was a broken breath and he nodded. "I got you," he told her, feeling her slowly relax against him. Getting his arms around her he lifted her from the bed and waited feeling her hands around his shoulders as she held him. With his face bent to hers he told her again, "I got you."

…

Her head was foggy and throbbing when she woke, opening her swollen eyes with no memory of why she would've been crying. Rolling over she hesitated waiting first for the world to stop spinning and then to question why her hips were sore. Her last memory was Reggie going after some girl, and now she was awake with a bad taste in her mouth.

Blinking the water from her eyes she noticed Reggie sitting on the floor next to her with his back to the bed, his head fallen to one side.

He jerked awake from her shoving him and he turned rubbing one eye with his hair stuck up in every direction. "How you feeling?" was all he could think to ask. She looked hung over but not upset.

"What happened?" she asked instead, feeling like something had. Something bad. She felt like she wanted to be sick.

She didn't remember, it left him with telling her the truth. He didn't think he could look her in the eye and tell her what he let happen, that he'd been the one to give Liam the drugs. This was his fault, and he didn't know how to tell her that. So he settled with a partial truth, one that'd hurt her less. "Some asshole tried something, but I got him."

The clouds were too thick in her head for her to think that through all the way, but she was lucid enough to realize she'd been drugged. It was like the world had dropped out from under her and she didn't know if she was floating or falling, or what end was up and whether she even wanted to get up. "What happened?" she asked again, seeing something in his dark eyes that looked like guilt.

"I got him," he told her again finding it hard to look at her impossibly wide eyes. "You're good."

She didn't believe him, his face looked too pained when normally he only knew how to look like a smug asshole. Her stomach was churning. But she reached for his hand gently running her thumb over his heavily bruised knuckles, a wordless thank you was all she could manage. "I'm gonna take a shower," she said slinging her legs over the side of the bed and sitting up.

"You okay?" he asked reaching a hand to her shoulder at her heavy wince.

She shook her head and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I got really dizzy," she answered, and it was a lie. She was sore in a way she shouldn't have been, in a way she couldn't deny.

Climbing out of bed she ambled slowly to the bathroom down the hall, she pulled her dress over her head and stepped into the shower before it'd even had the chance to get warm. While Reggie made his way downstairs Lane stood with her arms held to her bruised chest and her broken face upturned to the spray to hide from the bruises littered along her thighs.

It took her a long time to pull herself back together, long enough the water had run cold. But eventually the crying stopped, just like the pain would eventually stop. At least that's what she told herself. Wearing a baggy shirt and sweatpants Lane found Reggie sitting hunched over the kitchen table, and with a quiet sniff she sat in the chair beside him.

He looked at the side of her face not knowing what he was supposed to do or why she always made him like this, but he could tell from how red the skin around her eyes were that she'd been crying. And because he was him what he ended up saying was, "you know I always said I'd take you to bed."

Her brows drew tight together and she turned to him with a severe frown. "You're the worst," she told him in firm stony tone.

And he raised a shoulder feeling a smirk curling on his mouth. "It's why you love me Laney, cause you're a terrible person too." He watched as she blinked at him for several long seconds before a laugh escaped her, it was nothing more than a breath of air passing from her lips but it was a laugh all the same and it was all she was ready for. "Come on," he said climbing to his feet, "lets get something to eat."

Deciding she could at least do that she nodded and stood with him, giving a quiet okay as she headed to the door.

"You want me to hold your hand?" Reggie teased intertwining their fingers, and laughing at the way she pulled away from him only to come back and smack him.

She grumbled throwing the door open. "I hate you."

"Aw Laney," he cooed slinging an arm over her thin shoulders, "I hate you too."

With a huff she rolled her eyes shoving him away, seeing the gleam of his teeth as he smiled and feeling her own faint one tugging at her mouth. And it felt normal, or at least she felt like she could be.

* * *

 _ _I decided not to do Reggie's thoughts on Lane's relationship with Sweet Pea, as I originally said, because I have plans for Lane and Reggie in season three that will actually address some of that. Not romantic, that is not happening in this story. So this really is meant to showcase how Lane and Reggie were before she left, and just how guilty he felt for what happened to her.__

 _ _Not really a sneak peek, but through discussion with AFANAFAN, I came up with the idea of an AU to Tower Over Me where Lane is a witch and hails from Greendale. I would make this it's own story, and there would be a tie-in to the Sabrina series, however that would come later. But it gives me something else to do while I watch as much of season three as I can to get an idea of where to go in Tower Over Me.  
I have now posted that, if anyone's interested, it is called Witchcraft On her Lips.__


	8. boys who play with burning girls

__So this is something no one asked for, or probably wants. But this chapter is a retelling of Lane's accident and how she handled it- there's no Angie. Instead Lane gets close to Sheriff Minetta (so it's a little dark, and maybe a little uncomfortable). I decided to do my original ending for season 2 in this, which I changed for Tower Over Me because I wasn't ready to break up her and Sweet Pea yet.  
However, Sweet Pea/Lane fans - trying not to spoil anything - you'll be very satisfied if you read to the end. (so incredibly satisfied, you don't even know yet) __

__The title is a line from a poem by Elizabeth Hewer, found on tumblr.__

* * *

 **VIII **. only boys with gasoline mouths should play with burning girls****

He was there for the Serpent being used as a scapegoat in place of the Black Hood, it was easier. It'd make the town happy, it served to further divide between north and south sides – a perfect storm, as Hiram had called it.

But as one of his deputies threw Fangs to the ground and cuffed him Minetta noticed the young woman he'd been told to keep an eye on, of all the problems she was likely to cause. Hiram Lodge spoke of her with a revered disdain that caught Minetta's interest. And now there she stood, only a couple inches over five feet, holding back a football team with nothing but the sharp point of her finger and a piercing stare.

"Hey," he said in a commanding voice as he moved toward the scowling Bulldog who towered over her with her arm clenched in his fist. "You don't ever put your hands on a woman." He waited until the boy's hand fell from her arm before Minetta looked to her, finding himself looking at the greenest eyes. And they stared up at him with suspicious knowing. "Are you alright Ms Vivian?" he asked, playing the part of a gentleman.

Her smile was small and strained as she answered, "yes, thank you." Then she turned on her heel and walked away, leaving her now arrested friend without a second glance.

Minetta watched her disappear around a corner. She was a smart girl if she'd figured him out that fast. It meant she was likely to know Hiram had someone tailing her, and if the brief flash of panic he'd seen on her face at his knowing her name was anything to go by then she was about to skip town.

And so he was surprised to find her with Attorney McCoy when she barged into the interrogation room demanding to speak with the Serpent she was now representing. He'd jerked the boy off the chair and took him back to holding where he locked him in his cell, then he turned to the Vivian girl to find her watching him closely. "Can I get you anything, Ms Vivian?"

Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him, and he just barely caught the slight tilt of her head as she appraised him. "Not yet," was her simple reply.

Trouble indeed, he thought as he gave a curt nod and left her there. Returning to his office he reached for the phone and hesitated as the dial tone droned in his ear. It was the first time he considered going against Lodge for this girl, it wouldn't be the last. But with a sigh he punched in the number letting him know she was still in town.

…

When it was just the two of them Lane stepped to the cell reaching for Fangs who clung to her. "What's gonna happen when I get out of here?" he asked in a trembling voice.

"Me and you are gonna leave town," she answered, raising a hand to his cold cheek. "Sweet Pea made himself clear he wasn't leaving, and I don't plan on coming back. What happens after that's up to you."

The expression she wore was one of calm but Fangs could see how much that hurt her. He didn't know what happened between her and Sweet Pea after he'd been arrested to get to this point. But the only reason she'd consider leaving was if someone was after again. "You can't stay for me," he told her.

She smiled sadly feeling him take her hand. He was the only reason she stayed. "Haven't you figured out by now you're the only one I do anything for?" It was his turn to smile, and it was just as sad as hers as he pressed a soft kiss to her hand.

They stayed that way until they heard someone coming and Fangs sat on the floor while Lane stood against the desk a few feet away, and they both looked up to see Sheriff Minetta.

He was to inform Hiram the moment she left the station, so he could then alert the man waiting to take her out. His eyes fell to her rounded stomach and he took a sharp unhappy breath. "Are you hungry? We've got vending machines upstairs," was his quiet offer. And he watched her contemplate turning him down before she decided she was hungry, as he figured a pregnant woman would be. "Do you have any money?" he asked standing next to her at the machines as she looked at her options.

"Do you have any charges against him?" she asked smartly. She watched his brow raise and the corner of his mouth just barely twitch, but he didn't answer. So she turned back to the machine and told him very plainly, "guess you're buying then."

He gave a breath of a laugh that was only partly amused. He'd been told what to expect with her but it hadn't prepared him enough. She asked for five things, all different flavors, some savory some sweet, and he bought them all.

He checked on her throughout the day, brought her water, got her lunch then dinner. Every time she'd look up at him with the heaviest stare and he'd know she knew exactly what he was doing. And his mouth would curl in a way she knew meant he'd caught on, and it would in turn curl a smile on her own mouth.

Hours later he was forced to released Fangs into a mob surrounding the station with too much prejudice to consider the Serpent was innocent. Which was all part of Hiram's plan. But his eyes fell to Lane, who he already informed his boss was going with the boy. Before she got too far he moved to her side holding an arm across her chest forcing her to stop, and she turned looking up at him curiously. "You know what happens if you go out there."

For the life of her she couldn't find a reason for his warning - he was trying to get her to trust him, Lodge wanted someone close to her. But there was a man outside who'd been waiting here all day for her to leave so he could kill her, there was no reason for Minetta to be warning her now. "Are you gonna protect me if I stay?" she asked instead, and he released a heavy breath before taking a step back.

With nothing else to do he watched FP get her outside to the car Fangs wasn't making it to without a bullet in his abdomen. And even that still fit Hiram's plan, and Minetta made his way to the hospital to check on the boy so that he could intercept any news to the Serpents – they needed to believe he was dead.

So he was surprised again when he looked from FP, who blamed him for what happened to his boy, and saw Lane standing at his side. "Put your dicks away," she told them sternly, as though they were the teenagers, "this doesn't help anyone."

While FP looked for his son, who he just now realized had snuck out, Minetta followed Lane back to the small alcove she'd taken away from the windows. Taking a moment to consider it, and her, he took the chair beside her. "There aren't too many cold cases in this town," he said still trying for the innocent sheriff, feeling her watchful gaze on his face. "I know how hard this must be for you." He turned in time to see a flash of something almost vulnerable flit across her eyes before she masked it.

No one had considered what this night would be for her, waiting to see if another person she loved had been murdered. It took effort to pull herself back together, to remember he was playing her. "Is me liking you the job or does it make the job easier?" she asked, seeing the way he smiled.

"It's the job," he told her with a stark honestly he saw surprised her. "Though my liking you is where things will get difficult." He watched her eyes narrow not knowing how to take that, how to take him, and he smirked at finally catching her off guard the way she so easily did to him.

She didn't know him well enough to read anything from his expression, the only thing she knew is that he had the lightest brown eyes. "For me or him?"

"Both, I hope." His smirk grew at her furrowed brows and he reached a hand to her leg squeezing it briefly. "I'm gonna head back to the station, let me know if you need anything."

He made the mistake of thinking her being pregnant meant she wouldn't cause much trouble the rest of the night, that it was safe to leave her. But he got a call from the nurse to let him know Fangs was out of surgery, and he headed back to the hospital checking first the alcove he left Lane and found it empty.  
The doctor was very hopeful the boy would make a full recovery, the bullet missing anything vital. "There are still a lot of folks in this town who wish to harm Mr Fogarty. Consider him under official police protection. Should anyone ask, for now it's safer to say he didn't make it." That would cover anyone smart enough to check with the hospital staff. Getting an agreement from the doctor he then turned to the front desk and asked, "the pregnant girl that'd been waiting here, did you see where she went?" not knowing she'd be listening and was now running around the back of the hospital to find her friend.

It'd been a mistake to assume she was anything less than capable, and after this night it was a mistake he'd never make again. She not only found her friend but she was somehow able to sneak him out of the hospital, avoiding Minetta who'd almost gotten her before she barred the door, as well as the guy Hiram had on her for the second time that night.

Minetta then assumed, another mistake, she'd taken the boy and left town as she originally intended. But he got a call from the hospital reporting what sounded like a gunshot in the back lot, and with the sun beginning to rise he scoured the parking lot flashlight in hand until he caught the gleam of a cartridge. Then he found the blood and he followed the smeared trail realizing it was from a body being dragged. Lane was small, easy enough to carry, which meant she'd been doing the dragging.

He was left with two choices, Hiram or Lane, and it took him several minutes of holding his phone before he reached a decision and stuffed it in his pocket.

…

What was left of the Serpents were found broken and bruised in the Whyte Wyrm. Their boy was dead, Jughead was on his way, their trailer park was in flames, and they'd lost the war with the Ghoulies. Their despaired quiet was disrupted by the door being thrown open and they looked up to see Lane standing with blood smeared from her neck to her pants.

Sweet Pea was on his feet in an instant, but FP made it to her first. "Is that yours or Fangs?" FP asked her, realizing Minetta lied when he called not only to say Fangs was dead but that she'd left town.

"Neither, Fangs is passed out in the car" Lane answered feeling their relief. She swallowed heavily before continuing. "I shot someone else, he's in the car too." FP nodded thinking dealing with that was the least of their concerns, but then she continued again. "He's really mad."

"What?"

She ran a hand through her hair too tired to be anything but straight forward. "I've got them both on morphine but I can't get them inside."

"We'll get them," FP assured her, reaching a hand to her arm but she pulled away. "Sweet Pea take her home, you need to get rid of those clothes," he explained when she tried to refuse.

He was right but she shook her head. "I'll wait til Fangs is settled then I'll go."

She looked like hell and so even though he knew it was better to get rid of the evidence now he reluctantly agreed. And she followed Sweet Pea and Mac to the car making sure they didn't catch the IV drip on anything as he helped Fangs onto the couch in the back room. She didn't leave him until he'd fallen asleep again, if she had it her way she'd take him home but she wasn't sure she could handle him by herself.

But she finally left the back room and Sweet Pea, who'd hovered at her back noticing she was refusing to look at him, followed her to the door and they stopped when it opened. At the sight of the uniform Sweet Pea shoved Lane behind him and balled his hands into fists as he looked at Sheriff Minetta. FP was on him in flash ready for another fight, they all were. But silence fell when Lane crept behind him and pulled the gun from his holster aiming at him - FP's face slackened with surprise and Sweet Pea stepped back at the malice etched in her features.

Minetta looked down at her hard face with blood smeared on one side of it, he had no doubt she'd pull the trigger. "I got pain meds from the doctor," he said slowly pulling the bottle from his pocket and holding it out to her. She didn't move, but her boy moved around her taking it from him. "You need anything else?"

"No," Sweet Pea said the same time Lane snapped, "antibiotics." He smiled faintly and pulled out the other bottle, this time he offered it to the tall boy hovering behind her.

FP moved around him and gently placed a hand over hers forcing her to lower the weapon. "Easy girl," he told her gently as he took the gun from her, and he handed it back to the Sheriff. "She's had a rough night," he said not knowing if he planned to arrest her or not. Not a single person in that bar would've let him.

But Minetta's eyes were on Lane seeing the fierce way she watched him. His hand shifted on the gun and they moved in unison, he raised his weapon the same time she grabbed the one she had tucked in the waistband of her jeans. It ended in them both aiming at each other. And he smiled. "It wasn't enough to get a gun on me you needed to make sure I couldn't get to mine. Smart girl," he told her, consistently impressed by her wit.  
He returned the gun to his holster not minding that she still held hers on him. "If that's the one you used to shoot him you need to get rid of it. There'll be a full-fledged investigation on his disappearance." He held out his hand knowing she'd figure it out.

It took a few moments to get he wanted the keys, that he was gonna take him back to Hiram where he'd most likely be disposed of. Hiram couldn't pin it on her without Lane, five months pregnant, turning it back on him – and the reason Hiram wanted him back was because Lane would've turned him on Hiram and had him testify. So she lowered the gun and handed Minetta the car keys.

Taking them from her he held her eye and gave a short nod she was slow to return. He opened the door and waited as she walked out with him, offering her the keys to his police issued car. She followed him about an hour out of town and pulled off the main road into a clearing hidden by a dense patch of trees. And she waited watching as he stood at the back door talking to the injured man inside, whatever he said Minetta nodded before shooting him.

He went around the back of his car and rapped on the trunk for her to open it, and he grabbed the lighter fluid he'd gotten from the store and doused the car and the body in it before tossing in a lit match. She scooted to the passenger's side as he climbed behind the wheel, and she looked in the mirror as they drove away to see the whole thing up in flames.

It was a quiet drive back, he didn't bother trying to talk to her and she knew he wasn't likely to answer anything. She still couldn't make sense of him, of why he'd done that, of what made Minetta decide to kill him. As he pulled into her driveway she turned to him and asked, "what are you gonna tell Hiram?"

"I'll tell him I tracked you back to the Wyrm, no sign of him or the car." He looked at her sitting calmly beside him, and he raised a hand to her jaw brushing his fingers against the dried blood. "Get rid of the clothes."

She went inside and barely got out of the way before Sweet Pea slammed the door. "What the hell is going on?" he demanded nearly shaking. He thought she'd left him then she came back covered in blood with Fangs, who he thought was dead, and then she left. Again. Yet all he wanted to do was hold her.

"We got rid of the body," she answered feeling his hand brush the blood on her neck. And with no emotion to her voice she told him, "you need to pack your things."

"Lane," he said shaking his head, unable to comprehend.

But she shook her head and stepped away from him, forcing all feeling for him so far down she could feel it next to the place the baby kept kicking. "You know I understood you were scared when you thought I was pregnant, I get why you left me then. Not as much when you left me to figure out what to do with her, but enough I still took you back. Because beside it all I at least thought you'd be here when he came after me again. Except last night I almost died. Alone. Twice." She took a breath feeling her eyes flood as she fought the instinct to just give in and let him hold her – but she was Lane goddamn Vivian, and she was stronger than her need for any boy. "I'm not taking you back this time."

"Lane," he said on a desperate breath, gaping at her as he tried to breathe.

"You're her father I won't take you out of her life, but until I can trust you again you will have no place in mine." She swallowed around the knot in her throat, knowing she wouldn't make it much longer without breaking down. "So pack your shit and get out of my house."

She left him standing by the door with tears running down his face, and she took a shower trying to wash it all away. There was the smallest flutter low in her stomach and she held a hand over it forcing herself to be the kind of strong her daughter needed her to be.

.^.

Less than two weeks later Lane's car was run off the road, a week after that she woke to a world her daughter was no longer apart of. Sweet Pea lay in the hospital bed curled against her back with an arm slung loosely around her waist, and she breathed quietly against him looking at the note that came with the flowers set beside the bed. "Don't push me away," he told her softly. They were releasing her tomorrow, he didn't want her going home alone.

"This changes nothing."

He had to take a moment to catch his breath, that hurt him so much. All of this did. None of this would've happened if they'd left when she asked him to. "I love you," was his final plea.

She looked at the name on the card and then looked to the flowers – Dahlias, her favorite. Her eyes filled with everything she'd lost, but it soured in her turning into something dark and ugly. "I don't have time to love you right now."

.^.

The first time Minetta saw her after the accident was at the gym. It'd only been a few weeks, she was smaller but still losing the baby weight. Her hair was tied back and sweat beaded on her livid face as she pummeled a punching back that hung from the wall by chains that shook loudly with each hit. Someone was teaching her how to box, she had good form and she hit hard.

Without a word he moved around her and stood behind the bag holding it in place. And she continued for a long while never once looking at him, her breathing growing increasingly labored, sweat beginning to collect on her chest. She finally started winding down. "How are you?" he dared asked.

Her glove hit the bag with a loud crack. "You really need me to answer that," she posed instead. But she took a deep breath and leaned back finally looking at him. "Did Lodge ask you to keep tabs on me?" It was the first time she'd stopped and she only now felt how tired she was.

Watching her pull off the gloves he grabbed the hand towel on her bag. "The opposite actually," he told her, catching her interest. "I'm supposed to be keeping my distance."

"Why aren't you?"

He stepped to her and wiped the sweat from her face, and then he trailed the towel down her neck and over her chest feeling it swell with every breath she took. "I told you, my liking you would make things difficult."

"Then stop," she told him in a hard tone. Grabbing her bag she snatched the towel out of his hand, and he shook his head watching her leave.

.^.

He found her again a few days later and once more he stood holding the bag for her. This time he didn't say anything, he waited her out. And after she was done she stood with him once more wiping the sweat off her face. "Why are you following me?" she demanded.

She was so hard, loss did that to a person. But he caught the heavy way she swallowed as he moved down her neck. "It's a small town, this is the only gym."

"That's not what I asked."

He lowered the towel and looked at her unkind eyes, seeing nothing but his own reflection in them. "Do you have any unregistered guns?" he asked, closer to the point he wanted. Her lack of an answer was answer enough and he nodded. "Let me take you to the shooting range," he offered, seeing her immediate refusal. "Or give me the guns. It's your choice."

When she admitted to herself that there was no getting out of this she sighed heavily. "I'm free Sunday," she told him, and she stuck around long enough to hear what time he was picking her up before she left.

.^.

He stood behind her wearing earplugs watching her shoot, tweaking her body every now and then to get her into a better position; his hands on her shoulders, her hips, skating the inside of her thighs as he spread her legs a little farther apart. He'd see the sharp breath she took when his hands were on her, and it left him lingering longer than he needed to.

She wasn't a bad shot but she had a lot to improve. When she emptied her clip she set the gun down and looked up at him.

They were at the last station behind a dividing wall, somewhere several feet down from them was another man shooting. Looking up not seeing any cameras obvious or not, he bent low with his mouth next to her ear so she'd hear him through the foam earplug. "Where'd you get it?" he asked, wondering if there might be a way to get it registered.

But she leaned into him raising her chin, feeling him shiver as her lips brushed his ear. "From the guy you killed for me."

He jerked back staring at her now gleaming eyes feeling his breaths grow short as she blinked slowly up at him. He was so busy looking at her darkly inviting stare he didn't pay attention to what her hands were doing until after she'd undone his buckle. He had her bent over the bench at their station pulling up her skirt to find she hadn't worn a damn thing under it, she'd planned this. But he was already unbuttoning his pants, and he was the thankful for the dividing wall they were hidden behind and for the man that was shooting in time with the thrusting of his hips.

Several minutes later they climbed in his car and he drove her home. It was a quiet ride, his hands gripping the wheel, his eyes fixed on the road as he tried not to think of her sitting next to him wearing nothing under her skirt or of what he'd just done to her. With her. His hands tightened around the wheel.

Pulling into her driveway she gave him a hard look before climbing out and heading up the walkway to unlock the door. He considered driving away, of never mentioning it again because Lodge was likely to get rid of him because he was compromised. But he couldn't shake the feeling she wanted something from him, or was trying to take it from him. So he got out and followed her inside, planning to explain the situation and what they needed to do to make sure Lodge didn't find out.

But he made the mistake of closing the door, and he looked down at her eyes that still gleamed feeling her hands slide under his shirt running along his sides. He had her on the bed this time, with her facing him feeling her legs tight around him as she bucked against him. And when he was done with her he bought her dinner, and they sat on her couch talking about the little things. He even made her laugh. The only way he could see this ending was in Hiram disposing of him, and yet for the second time she had Minetta choosing her.

.^.

The bell above Pop's door rang as it opened, and Sweet Pea looked past Josie to see who was walking in and his smile fell. Noticing that Josie turned to see it was Lane and she looked back to him wanting to tell him this was why it would only ever be a fling, because he was so obviously still in love with her no matter how hard he tried to pretend he wasn't. "Either go talk to her or stop staring."

Sweet Pea looked at Josie guilty, seeing her unhappy eyes as she nodded, and with a sigh he stood moving to the counter Lane was leaning against. "Hey," he said not knowing how to start. He hadn't spoken to her since she'd kicked him out of the hospital and he only saw her around occasionally, but she looked good. Great even and it had his mouth running dry. She didn't turn to him as she repeated his short greeting and he cleared his throat not knowing what to say. "I don't want this to hurt you."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at him wondering what was going on in his small mind. Veronica set the drink carrier on the counter telling her the food would be ready in a minute, and she watched Sweet Pea's eyes fall to it noticing there were two cups. Fangs was staying at camp tonight, Cheryl and Toni were out of town, which meant she had company.

She waited until his eyes were back on her, seeing the muted hurt somewhere behind the wall of anger he was trying to build. "I'm gonna be honest, I don't really care," she said in a bored tone. "But since you want me to be jealous let's see what I can come up with." She looked from him to Josie and pondered it a moment before nodding to herself as she reached a decision. "My problems were always too big for you, it makes sense you'd go for someone whose entire world crumbled when her mom got a boyfriend." She raised a hand toward him as though asking if he liked that one, when his face didn't change she crossed her arms and thought briefly again. "How about, did you really think I'd be jealous of someone who's gonna drop you faster than she dropped her friends."

He took a steadying breath as his hand curled into a fist, not liking the person he was looking at - she really didn't look like Lane. "Are you done?"

"Aw," she cooed sarcastically, "you ask me that in conversation the same way you used to ask me in bed." She watched his eyes widen and his mouth fall open as she threw his never being able to make her come first in his face, and she made a show of grimacing. "Yikes, that was mean. I'm gonna go before I say anything else. But thanks for the laugh, babe, it was great seeing you." She looked at him with an almost pleasant expression but he blinked it fell away until all that was left was stone. Grabbing her bag of food she turned her back on him and walked away.

…

Pulling his bike into the driveway Fangs stared at the unknown car parked behind Lane's for a moment before he went inside. And he was stopped short at finding Sheriff Minetta in jeans with a toolbox as he fixed the outlet that'd shorted out. Returning his casual hello Fangs went into the kitchen where Lane was standing with her back to the counter watching the sheriff.

Before he could even open his mouth her eyes, which were steadily growing harder each passing day, flicked to his. "It won't be honest," she warned him.

There was so little of her left Fangs almost didn't recognize her anymore. "Give it to me anyway."

"I ran into him at the hardware store, he offered to help."

She'd never lied to him before, granted she told him she would but it didn't make it hurt less. He threw out the coffee he finished on the way over, in doing so he saw the remnants of her dinner last night realizing the same way Sweet Pea had that it'd been for two. "I just came by to grab more clothes and let you know I'm staying at the camp with Sweet Pea againt," he told her, looking at her to see her stony gaze was back on Minetta.

He found Sweet Pea later, who was still infuriated by what she'd said to him last night. "Something's going on with Lane," Fangs told him, hearing him scoff wanting nothing to do with her. "I think it might be really bad." That had Sweet Pea looking up, of dropping the self righteous indignation as he was filled with what he always felt towards her – the need to protect her.

Several hours, with the sun having fallen, the two sat in a truck across from her house. There were two cars in her driveway, and they could see the glow of the living room light through the blinds and knew she was watching TV. Close to midnight they watched the window darken as she turned off the light, and they waited as she walked to her room and turned the light on there. She'd gotten rid of the blinds in the room and replaced them with curtains that'd been left open, and the boys were so close they could actually see her through the window.

"Who the hell is that?" Sweet Pea asked on a quiet breath as a tall figure moved behind her and bent to kiss her neck. He couldn't make out either of their features but something dark churned in him as he watched someone else undress her.

"Maybe we should go," Fangs suggested uncomfortable, hearing Sweet Pea's heavy breathing as he seethed.

But he didn't take his eyes off them as she pushed him onto the bed and climbed on top of him. He couldn't look away from her, seeing only her shape as she moved over him with her head thrown back. Sweet Pea remembered the feel of her, of the way he held her hips watching in awe as she got herself off on him – and it did something terrible to him to know someone else got to have her. She was thrown forward and she held herself up on his chest, Sweet Pea didn't need to see her clearly to know the way her body was shaking, and he was left watching someone else flip her onto her back and settle between her legs. Watching someone else enjoy her.

As the light cut out Sweet Pea turned to Fangs, who sat staring at the same spot on the dashboard as he had for the last half hour. And in a barely level voice that crawled out of his throat in a low growl Sweet Pea demanded, "who the fuck is she with?"

…

She was standing in the kitchen sipping the coffee Minetta made her before leaving for work when the door was thrown open. A cruel smile curled faintly on her mouth, having purposefully left the window open last night.

"You're fucking the Sheriff?" Sweet Pea cried as he stormed to where she stood at the counter. "You know Lodge is using him to get to you, right? How the hell could you of all people be so stupid?"

She blinked calmly up at him, seeing that only ignited him further. "When I want your opinion I'll give it to you. Until then, get out of my house."

That sucked the anger right out of him, and he was left with the pain under it all. She was still pushing him away, and all he wanted was for her to let him stay. "After everything we've been through?" he asked, not thinking she could give up on it so easily. He'd once meant everything to her, the way she had to him.

She lost what little patience she tried to spare him, having made it very clear she didn't have time for this. Her cup hit the counter with a loud clap as she turned to him. "Everything we've been through?" she repeated in a sneering tone. "You mean me taking care of things while you went along for the ride?" She watched that settle on his face like a slap, and she found the part of her that would've felt guilty had been burned out of her.

"That isn't fair," he told her. He'd been there for everything, he was the only person who hadn't left her – she was hurting and was trying to make him hurt too.

But her eyes burned with cruelty. "Isn't it? What exactly have you done for me?" She looked at his eyes shining with the vulnerability he wouldn't show. "I saved your ass from the Ghoulies, I got you out of jail twice, I helped get rid of the snake charmer twice, I'm the one facing Lodge, I killed three of his guys, I got a job I got the house, you didn't realize I was alcohol dependent until I decided to quit, I took care of Fangs, I took the pregnancy tests without you, I'm the one who decided to keep her, and I am the one who held her as she died. So I'm gonna ask you again, what exactly have you done for me?"  
It was everything she'd never said to him, and he continued staring at her as they were left with everything that'd happened between them – everything they'd lost. And he didn't have the strength to fight. So she nodded accepting his silence and walked to the door holding it open. "Until you have an answer you can keep piledriving a girl who's never gonna want you, while I continue to be the only one getting shit done."

She fixed him with a hard look and waited for him to leave her like he always did. He stood with his brows drawn deeply together for several moments deep in thought, and the breath caught in her throat when his dark eyes finally flicked to hers – for the first time since the accident he looked as livid as she'd felt. Moving to her side he held her gaze as he pulled the door out of her grasp throwing it shut.

.^.

Hiram wouldn't be happy to know his daughter sniffed out his plan of getting her speakeasy closed with the drugs Penny mailed her. Minetta didn't know how they'd done it, though as he left Pop's he was halted by the sight of Lane sitting on the trunk of his car. And he realized he should've known she was involved.

"Ms Vivian," he greeted, impersonal as he tried to be when on duty.

But he close enough her legs brushed his side and he'd set his hand on the trunk next to hers. "Mike," she said leaning more toward the intimate part of their relationship.

He would've laughed at the thought of this being a relationship but it'd been almost four months and he could barely go a night without her. She was the worst kind of drug, and she wouldn't let him go. Eventually he stopped fighting it. "We talked about this, it's Sheriff Minetta when I'm working."

"And I told you to stop lying to me," she spit back. She knew Hiram had a plan in place as soon as Veronica told her Penny had stopped by the diner, and she'd asked Mike that morning if he was apart of it – no details, she never asked for those – he'd looked her in the eye and told her no.

He knew it was a mistake as soon as he'd done it. She didn't ask much of him, and that surprised him considering she knew exactly who he was, but she asked him not to lie. Before he could think up a reason to give her she slid off the car and climbed into hers, and she drove off looking up at the rearview to see him following.

After a while she pulled into the back of a long since closed store that was slowly being consumed by the surrounding wood, and she got out and waited as he walked around his car to meet her. "Is the shipment in the trunk?" he asked waiting for her to open it so he could at least take that back to Hiram. Try to play it off like Lane was helping him.

"It's at the diner," she answered blandly watching him freeze. "Well, probably not anymore."

He stepped to her glowering as he realized she'd led him away to buy her friends time. His hand curled around her throat dragging her up onto the tips of her toes as he looked down at her feeling a searing heat flood his stomach. "That was the wrong move Lane," he told her in a low quiet voice.

Her throat pushed against his hand as she swallowed and she stared up at him, a dare shining in her eyes – she knew exactly what was doing. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Taking a sharp breath at her invitation he jerked the back door open and shoved her inside. Before she'd even settled on her back he turned her over and she was dragged back to him as he pulled her jeans down. Hearing his buckle she released a breath letting her eyes close, feeling his zipper bite into the soft flesh inside her thighs as he moved.

"Harder," she told him, getting him to hurt her the way she wanted to hurt herself.

He knew she was punishing herself for what happened. She woke him sometimes with her crying and he'd hold her, trying not to let her see what was in his own eyes. But he also knew this was the only way she knew how to let go. As his hand closed around her throat he felt her fall apart beneath him. And after several long quivering seconds she settled against the seat, and he leaned over her kissing away the tears that escaped from the corner of her eye.

When he was done he turned them so she lay over his chest with his arm around her shoulders. It was quiet between them as the wind rustled through the leaves, and he found himself thinking that he wouldn't mind a life like this. "What do you think about leaving?"

She sat up enough to look down at him and saw something almost soft in his stoic face as he reached a gentle hand to her cheek. It filled her with an awful warmth, and instead of answering she laid her head back on his chest feeling his hold on her tighten.

* * *

 _ _It was a bitter rainy day as though spring was reluctant to let to go. She'd been driving home from her doctor's visit, still seeing Dr Schafer an hour outside of town. There was a long stretch of road surrounded by a steep hill littered with trees, an easy place to get lost.__

 _ _Lane wasn't paying attention on that secluded two lane road, her mind a million miles away. She assumed the car driving towards her would stay in their lane, she never considered they were there for her. Until it was too late. Her eyes widened as they swerved into her lane, so close she could see inside his car, and instinct had her jerking the wheel too far to the right.__

 _ _With a loud squeal the other car came to a sudden stop on that long empty road, before the car reversed and backed up to where she'd gone over. And with a pained face Minetta climbed out of the car to see hers upside down in the small ravine.__

* * *

He found her lounging in his bathtub with her eyes closed looking something close to peaceful. Pulling his clothes off he climbed in and sat with his back to her chest feeling her arms come around him, and he was able to find his own kind of peace. "You give it anymore thought?" he asked, thinking they could be happy if they could leave it all behind.

Instead of answering she pulled him close peppering soft kisses down his neck and over his shoulders, feeling him sigh as he settled further against her. And as his eyes closed in momentary bliss hers opened.

.^.

It was the last meeting between them. Minetta would accept his next assignment, which he knew was to kill Lane because hitmen weren't enough Hiram needed someone close to her. So Minetta would accept it, Lane would call Hiram saying she'd killed him and was now on her way out of the country, and Lane and Minetta would get on a plane and never look back. Lane had gotten the tickets and the fake IDs, now it was up to him.

"Thank you for meeting me," Hiram said with a smile as he ushered Minetta into his suite at the Pembrooke and led him to his study. "Would you like a drink?"

"Not this time," Minetta told him stepping through the doorway, and he stilled at the sight of Lane sitting at the table.

Hiram waited until the man turned back to him and he smiled again. "How about that drink?" he asked again moving to the ornate tray with four bottles filled with different amber liquids.

"Scotch," Minetta finally answered, sitting in the chair across from Lane while Hiram stood at the head of the table. He looked at her cautiously and she did little more than blink.

Hiram handed him the drink and poured himself a glass of gin taking a large swig before sitting to address the foolish man who'd fallen for the wiles of a young woman with nothing to lose. "I was very clear in telling you not to get familiar," Hiram said sounding very much like a scolding father. "Not for you, but because I knew she would inevitably turn on you." He cleared his throat seeing Minetta's hand tighten on his glass. "She informed me of your relationship and offered a deal," he swallowed and cleared his throat again, "your head for her freedom."

Instead of the smug manner he normally wore at times like these he loosened his tie still trying to clear his throat. In trying to swallow he realized he couldn't, and he turned to Lane who sat emotionless as his throat closed.

Holding the glass to his lips Minetta swallowed what was in his mouth, an understanding he wasn't ready for chilling his blood, he watched Hiram fall to the floor jerking helplessly as foam pooled from his mouth and filled his lungs. Minetta cleared his dry throat looking to Lane, who now sat watching him with her hair tied back in long sleeves with her hands her lap not touching anything. "How did you know which drink he'd take?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

With feeling absent from her face she callously told him, "I didn't."

All at once he understood she'd known the entire time what he'd done to her. He opened his mouth but only the breath of her name came out of his throat before it closed. And as he too lay dying Lane turned to the door as it opened and looked up at Sweet Pea.

* * *

 _ _She stood with her face upturned to see Sweet Pea's unreadable one, having told him everything. "If you do this with me there is no coming back."__

 _ _He found himself once more left with the choice to stay with the Serpents or to go with her, and he'd already tried life without her. Cupping her openly vulnerable face in his hands he thought her so beautiful and he bent to kiss her soundly on the lips. "I'm not leaving you again," he mumbled. A promise.__

* * *

As Minetta's eyes fluttered and his body began to shake the two teens pulled on gloves and moved to either end of him, Sweet Pea grabbing his shoulders and Lane taking his legs, and they carried him back to his car. She followed him a ways down the water's edge and then helped Sweet Pea drag Minetta's corpse into the driver's seat before they rolled the car into the river.

Minetta's were the only fingerprints in the study, he'd be the main suspect in Hiram Lodge's murder. By the time they found Minetta at the bottom of Sweetwater River, Lane and Sweet Pea would be long gone.


	9. Your Arms Like Towers - introductions

_A few things, I'll try to be brief. For readers just now getting to this, I had two very different ideas for season 3 and I liked them both but the idea below didn't feel as much like Lane as the one I ultimately went with in the actual story. That being said I did really like this idea so I'm going to continue it and make it it's own story._

 _With Sweet Pea and his summer fling, I decided to break up Lane and Sweet Pea (which, I originally planned to break them up during the season 2 finale but I wasn't ready) My plan is to have them grow as people separately, and then by the end come back together stronger. So really, they'll get to fall in love all over again, and this time it won't be super rushed._

 _That being said, I did wanna give Lane another experience at love that wasn't Sweet Pea. I wanted it to be different, I wanted it to be softer, more like a shy first love (which Lane and Sweet Pea never were). So I created an OC named Angie, she's really gonna help Lane grow and heal and become a more rounded character. So when she and Sweet Pea do get back together she knows who she is and what she wants, she won't be as dependent on him (because remember, this girl at this point has CRIPPLING abandonment issues).  
While at the same time, Lane's going to be stepping more into her role as a Serpent. So badass Lane is coming too. And, as I go through the story Angie's pretty badass on her own in different ways - so they're gonna be boss ass babes and I'm excited for it.  
_

 _All that to say (sorry for rambling), this is just a random mockup introduction of Angie with like zero context to the actual story. It's just a feel for Angie, and a feel for how Lane is with her._

* * *

 **IX. I can't recall the last time I opened my eyes to see the world as beautiful**

The house that'd once felt small and cluttered now seemed so impossibly big, big enough to swallow Lane whole. An air freshener had been sprayed in every corner, the couch and the table had been traded with ones at Cheryl's, and Lane was currently in the bedroom tossing the old sheets aside and pulling on the new ones she'd just washed. She'd hung on as long as she could, trying to convince herself it was impractical to completely rearrange the house just because of a breakup, but home had started feeling like a prison and she was constantly stuck between not wanting to come home and never wanting to get out of bed when she was here. So she caved, and now there wasn't a speck or whiff of Sweet Pea left.

"You're really just gonna throw them away?" Fangs asked helping her pull the fitted sheet down over the corners of the mattress.

With a brow cocked Lane looked up at him. "Would you want them?" she asked instead.

Fangs had lived with them for about a month, he knew how often they were together. "On second thought maybe you wanna burn them," he suggested seeing her roll her eyes, hearing what might've been a laugh even though it sounded more like a scoff. She'd be okay, it'd take awhile and she needed to relearn how to live alone but she'd get there.

That night Fangs climbed into the bed beside her and stretched out with a content sigh. "They're softer," he mumbled gathering the sheets to his nose to breathe in the smell of the softener she used.

Her mouth might not have been ready to smile but her eyes were soft as she looked at the shape of him in the dark, honestly so glad for having him. Now she was gonna have to figure out how to sleep without him, but she could deal with that later.

…

"Hey Lane," Fangs called from the living room as he stood by the window holding a bowl of cereal. "Lane," he yelled louder. She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel with her dark hair strung wet down her back. "Are you getting new neighbors?"

Feeling water dripping down every part of her Lane moved to the window beside him to see the moving van parked in the driveway next door. "Clearly," was her answer, the only part of her that was dry.

From around the back of the truck came a small blonde girl their age with a box in her arms. Her gaze happened to pass over the window and she paused noticeably at the sight of the barely dressed boy and the girl in the towel watching her.

Looking at where Lane stood beside him Fangs offered a cheeky, "maybe you should drop the towel."

"Oh my god," Lane grumbled shoving her way past him to finish showering. Ten minutes later her hair was thrown up and she was looking around her empty house before she knowingly moved to the window to catch sight of Fangs carrying a clearly heavy box as he walked beside the girl moving in. Rolling her eyes Lane pulled on her shoes and headed over, meeting her parents first.

"You two seem young to be living together," Mr Harper said with a brisk honesty Lane appreciated.

"His trailer burned down," Lane told him with her own vague honesty.

Seeing that was all he'd get out of the girl he nodded and handed her a box waving her inside. The house had two bedrooms, but other than the extra room it wasn't much bigger than Lane's. "In here," came a sweet feminine voice.

Lane followed it into the second room realizing the label on the box, A.T.H, was her initials. She was pretty, that was no surprise considering how close Fangs had been following behind her. But she had delicate doll-like features and a wide easy smile as she took the box from Lane and waved her in, that had Lane needing to swallow and collect herself. "I'm Angie," she greeted, setting the box down and extending a small hand.

"Lane," she answered simply, without elaboration.

Angie didn't seem to notice or mind, still smiling she brushed her hair behind her ear. "Fangs was explaining the two of you in the window," she said motioning to the faintly grinning boy in the corner. "It's nice you guys are so close."

"I didn't really give him a choice," Lane said following her back outside, feeling Fangs at her back who was no longer grinning as he watched them.

As they continued carrying boxes in the three teens talked amongst each other, idly, the getting to know each other's that always felt a little too probing. Angie was an army brat, this was her third high school, she was a senior like Lane, and Angie was very obviously into her. Fangs added that last one in his head as he made sure the conversation stayed going, noticing that Lane though still short lacked her normal bite.

"So the Serpents are a gang in the Southside, we go to Riverdale High on the 'good part of town,' and they're very prejudice towards the Southside. Is that right?" Angie asked looking from Fangs, who'd explained it all, to Lane who was arranging the boxes in a way she might consider anal. She came across very distant but Angie could see something in her wanted, for what Angie didn't know yet.

At Fangs' elbow digging into her back Lane answered, "there's a few minor details but we can fill those in as they come up."

Angie turned away smiling to herself, hearing in Lane's bland-toned answer that she wasn't gonna leave her to figure things out herself. There were little hints of something soft that Lane occasionally let slip, and it made Angie pause and watch her just a little closer trying to find that softness in her pretty stony face. All of this Fangs noticed.

There was a quiet knock on Angie's door and they turned to see Mrs Harper standing with a small smile as she looked between them. "We're thinking about pizza for dinner, you two are more than welcome," she said looking to the kids that lived next door.

"Oh man, we've got a meeting tonight," Fangs answered, wishing it was something they could skip.

"Another night then," she told them and turned to her daughter, who sat on the bed with Lane beside her helping her unpack. "I guess I'm gonna pick it up, you wanna ride?"

Before Angie could answer Fangs piped in with, "we can pick it up." All three women turned to him with mirrored inquisitive expressions. "We can drive Angie and bring it back."

"That'd be nice," Angie agreed, seeing the way her mother smiled. She hadn't made many friends at the last school.

It was settled then, and Mrs Harper went to help her husband continue unpacking while the three left. Fangs insisted on him being the one to run inside to grab Lane's purse with her keys, and he came back out with his own keys. "You know I forgot I told Toni I'd show up early, so I have to head out. But it was nice meeting you," he held out a hand to shake Angie's, "and I'm sure I'll see you around."

With her eyes narrowed Lane watched him hop on his bike and drive off. He was playing something, she'd get it out of him later. "If it wasn't a meeting I'd bring you by," Lane told her, even though that wasn't entirely true. She didn't think a gang was the best place for a Major's daughter, and she was almost positive they wouldn't want her anywhere near Angie if they knew.  
And Lane was thinking Angie was someone she could find herself liking. She was unassuming and open in a way that made her seem sweet, at no point did Lane feel like she needed to be in control. She was just nice, and Lane was feeling vulnerable enough those days she really appreciated that.

…

Lane showed up a little after Fangs, and the thought of staying behind and having dinner with a family she didn't know slowly left her as she remembered how much she cared for these people. Glasses were raised in greeting, hands clapped her back or gently squeezed her arm, welcoming her back because she hadn't been coming around much lately unless it was mandatory.

Making her way to where Fangs was talking with Cheryl and Toni she gave him a look seeing he was biting back a grin. "I noticed you stopped flirting," she said in place of hello.

He shrugged. "She didn't seem to be into me," was his reply. "But she's really nice," he said looking from Lane to the girls – who he'd just finished telling about Angie, and that she and Lane seemed to be getting along.

"Well we look forward to meeting her," Toni said, planning to stop by their house one day to see for herself. She noticed the way Lane sighed looking away, but she didn't know her as well as Cheryl and Cheryl knew Lane was trying not to think about it.

But in looking away her eyes found Sweet Pea, who'd excused himself and left the group when she pulled up knowing Lane wouldn't approach them if he was there. Her thoughts had resembled something almost content, filled with something other than what was missing from her life, but they darkened once more at the sight of him and the reminder that nothing had changed.

This was something Toni, Fangs, and Cheryl were all able to notice, but where Fangs and Toni let Lane go thinking she just needed space Cheryl linked her arm with Lane's and stuck by her the rest of the night. Or at least the time Lane stayed because as soon as the meeting was over she excused herself and headed home, a place she didn't want to be. But it had to be better than there where everyone was tiptoeing around the distance that'd been carved between her and Sweet Pea.

Pulling into the driveway of a house that no longer felt like hers - and really never had been, it was only ever theirs – Lane sat in the dark car a moment having to convince herself to get out. And she did with a heavy, weary, sigh.

"Hey," came a soft voice to her left, and Lane followed it to see Angie sitting on her front step in the dark. "Wanna join me?" she asked scooting a little to make room.

Anything was better than going inside alone, but that wasn't the only thought Lane had as she sat on the step beside her. "Enjoying the quiet?" Lane asked hearing the loud thumping bass that couldn't be contained within someone's car, the squeal of tires, dogs barking. It was anything but quiet.

But Angie smiled nudging her lightly. "I was trying to look at the stars," she admitted. From the street lights out front and porch lights out back she could only see a few, not enough to tell the constellation. But she could almost see Lane's quiet as she sat next to her. "You wanna talk about it?"

Lane appreciated that Angie hadn't gone for the easy question and asked if something was wrong. She was conscious enough to recognize something was and she asked what she really wanted. The answer was still obviously no. "We don't know each other well enough for that yet."

"Yet," Angie repeated, the smile heard clearly in her voice. "So that means we will at some point." In the dim, streetlight yellow glow, she saw Lane's mouth purse around a smile and she nudged her again.

Releasing a breath of a laugh Lane ran a hand over her hair finding it increasingly difficult to not smile, and part of her was still trying to refuse to. But Lane stood and cut through their conjoined yards calling over her shoulder, "meet me around back."

Confused and unsure Angie slowly climbed to her feet and walked around to the backyard wondering what she was doing. Their light in the back was out and they didn't have bulbs to replace it, but Lane's shone bright enough Angie could just barely see. Lane swung the backdoor open and saw her standing on her side of the yard, and she reached back inside flicking the light off. Blinking at the sudden darkness Angie couldn't see anything, but she heard Lane come up beside her and she gently reached for Lane's hand.

It took a few seconds of blinking but a whole sky of stars appeared above them and Angie gave a surprised laugh as she turned looking at them. Still holding Lane's hand. "Do you know the constellations?" she asked quietly, as though afraid she might break this fragile moment.

"No."

Half an hour later when Fangs rolled in, noticing the house was unusually dark, the two girls laid side by side in the backyard with Lane following the thin point of Angie's finger to trace the shape of the stars.

* * *

 _I am faceclaiming Angie as Alice Kristiansen, who does beautiful covers of songs on YouTube. So the titles of the chapters will be a line from a song she's covered that kind of fits the mood of either the chapter or one part of it. This one is her cover of Warrior by Aurora._


	10. Your Arms Like Towers - summer

_This chapter consists of part sof the summer that I kind of skipped over in season 3, just more development of where Lane is after the accident, where she and Sweet Pea stand, as well as further developing her relationship with my OC Angie._

 _The lyrics that go with this chapter are from Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey (Alice Kristiansen Angie's faceclaim also covers this song)_

* * *

 **X.** **got my bad baby by my heavenly side, I know if I go I'll die happy tonight**

It was easier when he didn't see her, to breathe, to pretend like he didn't wake up at odd hours of the night reaching for her and then having to remind his panicked mind that he now slept alone, to not wanna go back to her or feel like he needed to, to pretend like he wasn't hurting. It was easier when he didn't see her, which wasn't hard because for a while she stopped coming around.

He was able to get her out of his head, at least for a little while. And gradually he thought of her less, needed her less. Felt like he could be himself again and not just one half of her. The fling with Josie was just another way to not need Lane. Everything he did those days was.

What Sweet Pea hadn't known was that the time he'd been grateful for Lane's absence she'd been back in the hospital. Fangs, who'd moved in the same day Sweet Pea moved out, had woken to her having a seizure. He was the one sitting at her bedside unable to move, taking her home and watching her too closely, of watching her breathing sometimes because he was afraid she might stop if he looked away.

They both had almost died on each other, it made them the kind of close that was often mistaken for intimate. So when Lane started coming around again with Fangs at her side, Sweet Pea noticed.

...

The first time Lane saw them together had been such a shock she almost turned the car around and went home. It wasn't seeing Sweet Pea because she'd already gotten over that, or at least she'd shoved the emotion far enough down it couldn't come back up. And it wasn't really seeing that he was with Josie, because they weren't together anymore and she'd gotten herself over that too. It was the way he looking at her, his eyes heavy his mouth forming an easy grin – flirting, happy.

It'd only been a month. More often than sometimes Lane woke still looking for their daughter, and when she remembered that she was gone it was like she'd lost her all over again. And then she'd turn reaching for Sweet Pea only to have to remember she'd lost him too. And then Fangs was left to deal with her crying.

And as Lane sat in her car looking at where the two sat across from each other at Pops, she had a thought that started brief but eventually consumed every thought of him that maybe she never meant as much to him as he had to her.

She wanted to leave, to be anywhere but here with those thoughts. But Fangs was at home expecting food and they'd already placed the order. So she took a breath and told herself to grown a pair and deal with it. So she did.

The bell above the door chimed and Veronica turned from where she stood behind the counter to see Lane walking in, and her eyes darted to the table Sweet Pea and Josie were set up before she looked back to Lane. "Hey," she said with a smile, moving down the counter so that Lane would turn with her and hopefully not see what was behind her. "Your order's about ready. How are you feeling?" She looked about as expected, tired and melancholy.

"The dahlias were beautiful, I already saw them, and you look cute in the uniform," Lane told her, simple and matter of fact. Not noticing the boy behind her whose mood fell along with his smile, his gaze continuing to stray to her back.

Veronica nodded having figured Lane probably had, she'd still had tried to spare her. "I look cute in everything. That's not conceit, it's a fact."

Lane almost smiled, wanted to smile, but it was like her mouth didn't remember how to yet. And then at the end of the week a girl with yellow hair and a fairytale face moved in next door, and she brought back Lane's smile.

.^.

Looking at the tickets for their seats Fangs climbed the stairs heading for the middle of the second to last row up top. His favorite was the very last row but the ones in the middle were taken. When he moved down the aisle he quickly saw why.

"Hey man," Sweet Pea said as he sat with an arm around Josie's shoulders and a hand on her leg. He watched Fangs' eyes widen and sudden understanding hit Sweet Pea, and he turned to see Lane coming up the stairs behind the new girl she'd been hanging out with. Swallowing heavily he pulled his arm from around Josie, feeling her stiffen as she sat up straighter. And he watched Lane walk past Fangs and sit in the chair directly in front of him without noticing he was there.

"Wait, so you're saying the military guy wants to use the dinosaurs to fight in the war?" Lane asked, having been listening intently as Angie recapped the movie before this that Lane hadn't seen.

Angie sat on Lane's right with Fangs on the other side of her, neither noticing the awkwardness surrounding them as she and Lane stayed lost in conversation. "Yeah, saying it out loud it doesn't sound good," she told Lane laughing lightly, seeing Lane pull a face as though she'd just proved her point.

"You know what, all I wanna see is dumb bitches get eaten," Lane said grabbing a handful of popcorn, that was set on her lap since she was in the middle. Which was a terrible idea because she'd end up eating it all.

Beside her Fangs looked to Angie, "did you tell her what happened to him?" When she shook her head he continued, "Blue bites his hand off, and then eats his face."

"Dumb bitch deserved it," was Lane's reply. Then Angie and Fangs took turns explaining the rest of the movie, and Lane nodded doing a very poor job of looking impressed. At the end of the day she wasn't really a movie person, she was just there for the company and the popcorn.

Sweet Pea looked between them seeing even Fangs had forgotten he was there, and he noticed that Lane and Fangs were sharing a drink, that the two sat shoulder to shoulder, that she was smiling again in her small way. Fangs had all but slung an arm across her shoulders.  
Remembering the girl beside him he looked at Josie, who he'd brought to the theater to make out with like they'd been doing every movie they went to, but her eyes were on the screen. Lane wasn't his problem anymore, he was getting tired of having to remind himself that. And yet all through the movie his gaze continued to fall to the back of her head, and he could've sworn he smelled her shampoo.

Lane watched the movie with an unsurprising level of disinterest, as someone unable to suspend her disbelief enough to enjoy it, feeling both Fangs and Angie reaching across her to dig into the bucket poised on her lap. The two girls reached for popcorn at the same time and Angie's fingers slid in the spaces between Lane's, it felt similar to if they'd shocked each other and it had them pulling away.

For the rest of the movie Lane sat consciously aware of how close Angie felt, of the twisting in her stomach that made breathing seem hard, and the dryness in her mouth. It made her want to jump out of her skin but at the same time she wanted to reach for her hand just to feel it again. It was almost a relief when the credits finally rolled and Lane could stand up, get a little space between them, catch her breath.

"What'd you think?" Fangs asked looking at where Lane moved slowly behind them as they headed for the stairs. He noticed immediately she was uncomfortable, and he reached back squeezing her hand gently thinking she'd finally noticed Sweet Pea and Josie.

"I wanted to see people get eaten, it delivered," was her simple answer.

Nodding he then looked to Angie, not knowing her well enough yet to see her own discomfort. And she smiled, like she usually did, and said it was a really good. But even she'd stopped really paying attention to the movie, her mind too focused on the way Lane had stiffened and seemed to lean away from her.

It was a quiet car ride with the radio on and the windows down enjoying the warm night air. Fangs had taken the backseat and it left Angie sitting beside Lane as she drove, knowing Lane was refusing to look at her. And she had a brief insecure thought that everything was now ruined, that she'd been so horribly wrong about it all.

"I had a really nice time," she said as they stood in the driveway, Lane and Fangs to go inside and her to go to her own house. She said this more to Fangs because Lane still wasn't looking at her, and she gave a small smile that quickly fell as she cut across their yard.

Her parents looked up from where they sat on the couch and her mother smiled warmly. "How was it?"

"It was good," she answered a little too quickly, trying to get to her room too fast.

"How did Lane like it?"

She knew what her mom meant and Angie raised a hand to her hair scratching unhappily. "I don't think she likes me like that," she told her, feeling the crack in her voice from the lump in her throat.

"Oh honey," her mother said as she stood with her arms raised.

But Angie shook her head and stepped toward the hall. "It's fine," she said trying to brush it aside. "I never really thought anything would happen, but – it's fine."

They watched her head to room and Mrs Harper sighed wishing these things didn't have to be so hard. But it was her husband who stood, who hadn't been sure of Lane's character from the moment they met her and even more so now seeing how she'd affected his daughter. "I'll check on her."

In the house next door Fangs watched Lane quietly go to the bedroom exchanging her jeans for pajama pants, wishing there was something he could do. "I know tonight probably wasn't easy," he told her, still thinking it was about Sweet Pea.

But Lane never noticed he'd been there, that he'd close enough to touch. Her mind was elsewhere warring with what she guessed was her stupid heart and it had her sighing heavily before she walked out the front door.

Angie was pulling off the St Jude pendant her brother used to wear when she heard a faint knock at her window. With her heart in her throat she slid it open and sat on her knees looking at where Lane knelt on the other side.

"I had a nice time too," Lane told her softly, seeing Angie's faint grin though it still fell quickly. And that was her fault. "I'm sorry I'm so difficult."

Difficult didn't seem big enough to encompass everything Lane was that had her keeping everyone at arms length, and Angie could see how much of an effort it was for Lane to let her even a little closer. Yet Lane continued making it. "You don't have to be sorry," Angie told her gently. "But I still appreciate it."

Brushing her hair behind her ear Lane nodded wondering what the hell someone like Angie could see in her, and why it made Lane want her to keep trying to see more. That Lane could be better than the broken shell she was now, better enough to be cared for. But Lane had never been good at saying what she felt, and even if she could she was nowhere near ready. So what Lane ended up saying was, "did you know your mom put a cushion out here for me?"

With a surprised laugh Angie leaned out of the window and looked to see sure enough her mother had bought a cushion for an outdoor chair and set it in the place Lane usually sat when they talked late at night when they both couldn't sleep. "I guess we're not as sneaky as we thought," she replied sharing a grin with the girl that sat outside her window. A breath passed between them easing the nervous feeling that tried to separate them. "So the movie wasn't great," Angie admitted, taking something closer to Lane's pessimistic stance.

But Lane raised a shoulder and took something closer to Angie's optimistic one. "It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen," she told her, seeing the faint curl of her lips. "Maybe the second worst."

Angie laughed while Lane pressed her lips together and they fell back into the kind of easy conversation that came with being comfortable with another person. In the hall outside her room Angie's stern father smiled faintly at hearing the way they both made the other laugh, the excitable way they spoke. Considering perhaps Lane might have a few good qualities as he went back to the living room. And on the front step next door Fangs grinned to himself as he went back inside, realizing tonight had been about Angie.

.^.

They saw each other every now and then over the duration of the summer, their eyes met like they'd stumbled into each other knocking them a step back before Sweet Pea looked away. He always looked away first, turned away, walked away – everything he did was to just get away from Lane. He thought it's what she needed, or maybe he was the one needing space because she was almost always with Fangs.

It left Lane looking after him wondering if she'd ever get him back. She'd convinced herself it was fine they weren't together, that she was even fine he was with someone else, but she missed him.

Fangs would shove his hands in his pockets uncomfortably, not knowing what he was supposed to do now that he was stuck in the middle. So it was Angie who'd move to Lane's side, brushing her hand against Lane's and meeting her pale pained eyes with a sad smile.

"What's on your mind?"

Lane didn't answer that often, she'd never really talked about Sweet Pea with anyone. The closest she'd gotten was with Veronica. And yet looking at Angie's openly kind face she took a breath and decided to let her in. "He always said if we weren't together we'd still be friends. I mean it's obvious now how impossible that is but," she sighed feeling her shoulders slump, "I guess I'd always held onto that."

It's the most Lane had ever said about it, Fangs stood behind her with widened eyes not only because Angie had gotten Lane to talk but because her problem wasn't really that they'd broken up it was that he wasn't in her life anymore.

Angie nodded understanding that, having asked Lane about what happened several weeks before. "I don't know him, but from what you've said he seems like he takes awhile to come around. This is really big, maybe it's just taking him a little longer."

"He might still come back," Lane said getting her point, to not lose hope. If anyone else had said that to her Lane would've rolled her eyes, probably said something biting in return, but her eyes softened towards the other girl.

With a small shrug of her shoulders Angie told her in a quiet voice, "I would." She watched Lane's normally stony face crack and fall apart as her mouth just barely curled, but her eyes squinted with the smile she tried to hide. Biting her lip Angie reached her hand out to Lane, letting it be her choice, and as she'd been doing more lately Lane timidly took it.

The two walked again bound at the hand, and Lane called over her shoulder to Fangs, "close your mouth and keep up."

.^.

Beneath the heavy noise of the blow dryer Lane heard the front door shut, or at least she felt the faint vibration beneath her feet. Turning it off she combed her hair down hearing familiar voices in the living room and she went out to meet them.

"Hey Lane," Jughead greeted when he saw her. And then his brows rose in surprise at her hair, now cut to her chin.

Before either him, Betty, or Fangs could comment on it Lane asked, "are they here to help convince me to go to the carnival?"

"How do you always figure it out?" Fangs asked.

Moving around him Betty said under her breath, "because she can think for herself," and saw in Lane's shining eyes she'd heard that. "It looks great," she said resisting the urge to reach a hand to her hair because she knew how Lane felt about being touched. "And you should come, it'll be fun. Veronica said you haven't been doing much of that."

"I didn't do much of that before either," Lane said seeing Betty nod as she realized that was true. "I bet Angie would wanna go, I don't think I've seen her today."

Behind them Fangs looked to Jughead making the quiet comment, "it'd be the first day in like two months she hasn't." As Jughead smirked Fangs turned to Lane. "Why don't you go invite her, and Betty will come up with how we can alternate who stays with you while everyone else goes on the rides."

Shaking her head Lane moved around them and headed next door, not noticing that Fangs quietly ushered Betty and Jughead to the window to watch as Lane knocked on the windowsill outside of Angie's room.

Lane knelt on the cushion seeing Angie come up and open the window, and then settle on her knees sniffing as she lowered her reddened eyes. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say," is what came out of Lane's mouth. And as Angie looked up at her with confused teary eyes Lane cleared her throat. "It seems stupid to ask if you're okay, obviously you're not. And it seems kind of invasive to ask what's wrong." Awkwardly Lane raised a hand to brush her hair behind her ear, forgetting it was now almost too short for that. "I can go if you wanna be alone."

"No," Angie said a little too quickly. "That's okay, I'm kind of glad you're here." She moved back and helped Lane climb into her room, and then she looked at Lane with the sudden realization that she'd really been the only one she wanted to talk to about it. "It's the anniversary of my brother's death." She sniffed again, swiping a hand under her running nose.

Lane was left once more not knowing what to say, I'm sorry seemed obvious but Lane knew how hollow and useless that was. So she stepped forward slowly wrapping her arms around Angie's shoulders, feeling her hands light on her back at first before she hugged her tight. And she held her, the same way Angie had when Lane told her about losing the baby. They stayed that way as long as she needed, and she pulled back feeling Lane gently wipe her cheeks. "You can be really sweet."

"I have a reputation to uphold," was Lane's deadpan response.

It made Angie smile, and she knew that'd been Lane's intention. "So what's up?" she asked.

With a shrug Lane stepped back. "Fangs convinced me to go to the carnival a town over, I thought I'd see if you wanted to come."

She hadn't planned to do much more than sit in her room wondering if this day was ever gonna get easier, but her eyes were now dry and the lump in her throat had finally dissolved. "You know, that sounds really fun." She walked with Lane out of her room and her parents looked up almost surprised, it'd been the first time she'd really come out today. "Lane invited me to the carnival, I think I'd like to go if that's alright."

"Of course," her mother said immediately, unable to give her normal smile.

"How'd you get in?" General Harper asked fixing Lane with a heavy look.

He was such a serious man with a no-nonsense air that Lane told him nothing but the truth. "I climbed in through the window." Blinking Lane sighed at herself and told him in her own serious manner, "and no, that is not something I want to have said to you."

His eyes were still stern as he took a deep breath, but he released it in a heavy whoosh and nodded. "Have her back no later than eleven."

"Yes sir." Lane left to let Angie to get ready, noticing that Jug's bike was gone. "Why are you smiling?" she asked when she went inside and saw Fangs' dopey look.

She'd been gone a while, long enough Betty told the boys she and Jug would meet them there, and then after that it'd been long enough Fangs' mind had started to wander. "You should get ready."

"I am ready," Lane said with no plans to change. "No," she told him raising a hand as his eyes glinted. "Fangs," she cried as he rushed forward throwing her over his shoulder and carried her into the room where he'd set out a dress for her. It was the white one that hung off her shoulders and cinched at the waist, that Sweet Pea had always loved her in. She took a breath and found herself thinking of something Angie would've said – now she could love herself in it.

He stood at her back looking at her in the mirror, at her almost softened face and her short hair. "You look beautiful," he said pressing a kiss to the side of her head where the scar was hiding under her hair. As she smiled he further told her, "remember to tell Angie that when she's ready."

Turning she smacked his arm and joined him in a short laugh before a knock sounded on the door. And as Lane opened it and saw Angie in a sleeveless blouse tucked in her highwaisted shorts, the only word she could think was beautiful.

It was that way for both of them, and Fangs let them have their moment thinking Angie would get it together but even she stared at Lane in a dazed way. "Alright let's go," he said grabbing Lane's shoes and shooing her out the door.

Fangs drove with Angie beside him and Lane in the back, not yet knowing how to convince either one of them to sit in the back together. "Betty and Jughead came up with a system to alternate who goes on rides since Lane can't," he told Angie, and also Lane because he knew she'd try to get whoever was forced to stay with her to go anyway.

Angie knew it was because of the shunt, she also knew Lane was scheduled to have it removed next week so long as her last scan was clear. But what Angie said was, "I don't do rides, my brother and I got stuck upside down on one once. Took them two hours to get us down."

"That's perfect," Fangs said without really thinking, he was mostly focused on it giving the two more time together. "I mean, not what happened," he quickly corrected.

Laughing lightly Angie turned to where Lane sat behind him. "I forgot to tell you how nice your hair looks," she said, also knowing Lane had cut it because of the patch they'd shaved for the surgery was growing back.

"It's too late for that now," Lane told her seriously.

"I'll just have to try harder next time," Angie replied, sharing a warm look with Lane before they both looked out their windows with mirrored grins. And behind the wheel Fangs sat smiling to himself.

…

It'd been a good night, it was the closest Josie had let him in public, his arm around her shoulder, both of them smiling. And then he saw her, and it was like every part of him somersaulted and he didn't know what end was up.  
The sight of Lane left him having to collect himself, to remind himself he was here with Josie and that despite it just being a good time he kind of liked her. Or he'd convinced himself he did. But Lane was wearing the dress he'd always loved her in, she lost all of the baby weight and looked surprisingly toned, her short hair sharpened the parts of her face that looked the most lethal and it looked great – she looked great. With Fangs at her side, making her smile.

"Hey Lane."

Veronica looked up at Archie, who'd turned to where Lane was walking. "What are you doing?" she asked glancing at where Sweet Pea stood with Josie pressed against his side holding the prize he'd won her. She then turned to Betty, who looked just as unhappy.

But Archie wasn't paying attention, seeing Lane turn to look for who called her he raised a hand and beckoned her over. "Hey," he said when she Fangs and Angie reached their group. "He's giving out free prizes to girls who hit over 600."

Lane looked to the punching bag machine and the cocky thick armed man running it. The last score which had been 520 – it'd been Betty's, and so far she had the highest between her, Veronica and Josie. Looking at Angie over her shoulder Lane asked, "you wanna try?"

"This one's all you," Angie said knowing Lane too well.

So Lane shrugged and Archie grinned catching the guy's attention. "We've got another one."

He smirked derisively when he saw Lane, her thin shoulders, her small height, looking very pretty in her dress. "Tell you what, sweetheart, I'll give it to you if you get it to five hundred." The machine was rigged to its highest setting, only a very small number of women had actually gotten over 600. Even Sweet Pea had just barely maxed it out at 999.

Lane's brow shot up and she gave a short unamused laugh, a look Sweet Pea knew well. She turned to Angie and told her, "get ready to pick your prize," spreading a wide smile on Angie's mouth as she and Fangs stood back with the others.

The four pairs watched Lane closely, along with a few bystanders who'd overheard the deal and were either waiting for a turn or to see how she did. Lane got into position with both fists up, and she used every part of her body to pack more of a punch as she swung hard and fast. They watched the numbers shoot up and then slowly tick until it reached 860.

Betty, Veronica, and Josie all cried victoriously, Jughead blinked away his surprise before clapping along with some of the bystanders, Angie and Fangs grinned proudly, Sweet Pea stood with his mouth hung open and a familiar warmth in his chest, and Lane smirked as she passed the man with the shocked face.

Archie looked down at her with an impressed smile. "Reggie said you've been boxing. Guess he was right, you do hit harder than him."

Clapping his arm she said a brief hey to Veronica before making her way to where Angie stood waiting. "You know what you want?" she asked nudging her head in the direction of the stuffed toys hung on the wall behind him.

The two girls walked to the display and Angie bit her lip as she pointed to the monkey, and while the guy went to grab it she turned to Lane. In a rush of fragile courage she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "A kiss for the winner," she said by way of shy explanation.

It had Lane swallowing as her eyes fell to Angie's mouth watching the way her lips formed the words, thank you, as she took the stuffed monkey. Clearing her throat Lane shook herself and said, "you should name him George."

Angie gasped excitedly. "He does look like curious George," she said as they moved back toward the group so they could get Fangs.

"Angie and Georgie."

"That is so cute," Angie beamed as she walked with an arm around the stuffed monkey.

Sweet Pea watched Fangs fall in on Lane's other side, the way he clapped her on the back and the way she dug her elbow in his side in return. But instead of feeling a rush of jealous betrayal at the sight of them, his eyes moved to the girl on Lane's other side seeing the way Lane curled her arm so that Angie could link hers through. "It's about time you caught on," Josie said from beside him.

The pain was sudden and sharp and it left him blinking back the swell behind his eyes, as though he'd lost everything all over again. And the thought that he'd screwed up and it was too late to take it back had him shoving it all down, sewing himself back up and carving a smile on his face until it didn't feel forced. And he turned to Josie telling her, "I think it's time I pay you some attention," and she smiled nearly purring as they walked away.

* * *

 _From here on out you can find the rest of the story in Tower Over Me (With Your Arms Like Towers). It's still sad but it's generally a happier story and really lets Lane be a seventeen year old girl and have a little break from all the pain and death threats (til chapter 4 which is the longest break she's had). Also, this version of the story comes with an alternate ending.  
_


	11. Update on what's to come

Hey guys, quick update. Tomorrow (as I'm posting this) I'm going to be moving Your Arms Like Towers to its own story as I finish it. I'm doing that because I do still want to write one shots here and for things not to be confusing or lost. So I'll put that up tomorrow, the first three chapters are the same but I have a new chapter written and I had a lot of fun with it (there's more humor in it than I thought Lane capable), so chapter 4 is the new one and it's got quite the cliffhanger.

I've got a couple of one shots planned once I catch both stories up to the mid season finale (Tower Over Me only has one more chapter, and this one has one more before it's on hiatus too)

One of them, just to peak your interest, is season 3 but with Lane and Sweet Pea having not broken up. Now, I'm thinking I will still have Lane lose the baby, in a different way though (this will be my original plan for the baby, because killing her was not it) – but with all the crap going on a baby seems terrible to have caught in the middle.  
(not to worry though, I do have a one shot planned that centers around baby Daya that the author topstory inspired me to do. There will be no G&G in that one shot because I don't want to)  
But I'm kind of excited to do this because as much I've been enjoying having Sweet Pea and Lane apart (because they needed it), I really miss them. And, I will most likely write at least the first chapter sometime next week if not sooner because I am really excited about it. It'll be the first episode of season 3 and Lane will still be pregnant, so it's happy and it's got Lane and Sweet Pea fluff. So I hope you guys are interested and will enjoy it.

As always, I thank you guys so much for being here.


	12. There Goes My Life - part 1

_This is the start of season three that has Lane and Sweet Pea staying together. This starts about a month after where I ended season 2, so it's at the very start of summer. I went a little overboard with all the sweetness, I guess I deprived myself of Lane and Sweet Pea being happy that it got away from me. But, it does establish character relationships, and what Lane does over the summer because as you see at the end I still skip those three months._

* * *

 **XII. There Goes My Life - Part One**

Standing in her office at the shop Lane looked up from the reports she was reviewing as she paced to see Sweet Pea leaning in the doorway watching her. "Hey gorgeous," he said when she finally noticed him there. "You ready to go?"

She still had work to do but she was tired of being cooped up in that office with endless paperwork she was trying to get somewhat up to date before she and Sweet Pea went away for the next two weeks. She wanted to go home and finish packing but she knew what today was, it's why she was wearing the mint green sundress with her hair pulled back, having even put on a little makeup.

He came around her side of the car and held the door open, a hand around her back helping ease her down into the seat. "I'm not big enough to need you for this yet," she told him stubbornly. She was two days away from her third trimester now, she wasn't quite waddling yet.

"But you can't get out of the car without him anymore."

That wasn't entirely true, if she got enough leverage she could drag herself up. But she frowned turning to where Fangs sat behind her. "Yeah and how's your gunshot wound?"

"That was uncalled for," he grumbled only half offended as Sweet Pea climbed behind the wheel and drove off.

He sat with one hand on the wheel and other wrapped over the top of her leg enjoying how soft her dress was under his calloused palm. They pulled up to a red light and she pulled his hand up to the side of her round belly and he turned to her with a grin feeling a little kick.

"Light's green," Fangs said interrupting their warm look.

Sweet Pea glanced ahead of them to see it wasn't and he turned to Fangs. "You really wanna walk today, don't you?"

"We're not gonna make him walk," Lane said smacking his chest lightly, and behind her Fangs smirked victoriously. "You can just stick his ass in the trunk."

Fangs' face fell to an unhappy frown as Sweet Pea barked a laugh pulling forward, the light now actually green. "So what do you think we're gonna get?" Sweet Pea asked, his hand returning once more to her leg.

"Dude," Fangs exclaimed from the back, "it's supposed to be a surprise."

Lane turned to him incredulous. "Really? Between the dress and him wearing the only pair of jeans he owns without holes in them you really thought I didn't know?" He shrugged and she turned back around and answered Sweet Pea. "I gave Cheryl a list to give everyone she invited, that plus the only people who really know it's a girl are in this car hopefully we won't just get clothes." She really wanted a stroller but it was a lot to ask, she also wanted a diaper genie, but frankly she was fine settling with diapers and bottles and burp clothes. Practical things.

Beside her Sweet Pea bit back a grin because he and Cheryl went down her list and assigned different people the price appropriate gifts, while Cheryl worked her manipulative magic on the more expensive things Lane didn't add – he knew exactly what she was getting.

He pulled up to Cheryl's house and he turned to Lane as she opened her door and swung her legs out. "Need help?" he asked.

"I don't need you," she told him as she got her arms on either side of the car and heaved. He closed his door and came around to her side of the car and she looked up at him miserably. "I need you."

Doing a poor job hiding his smile he got an arm around her back and easily pulled her to her feet, seeing the hand she immediately brought to her low back. "We'll take a bath later, I'll rub it for you," he told her bending to kiss the top of her head. She was looking at him with such soft adoration and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders pulling her against him before continuing, "if you play your cards right maybe you'll get lucky."

With a loud huff she rolled her eyes walking away, hearing him laughing as he followed behind her. Cheryl greeted her at the door with a wide smile and took her hand as she led her inside the pink and blue decorated house, the downstairs filled with various baby-inspired things such as pacifier balloons, several clotheslines with paper cutouts of baby clothes, and the foyer was closed off as there were gender related activities behind the door. While Lane's back was turned Toni got Fangs and Sweet Pea's thumbprints by the door before shooing them after the two girls, as she less than happily dealt with their last guest.

"It's not big I promise," Cheryl told her, knowing Lane wasn't one for crowds. She brought Lane into the living room where everyone was waiting, and Lane was quieted at the familiar faces, at realizing what each of them meant to her. She had the Serpents: Mac, Jughead, FP, Toni, Fangs. And the Northsiders: Cheryl, Veronica, Archie and his parents, Betty and her mother, and Josie and Mrs McCoy.

There was a round of surprise as everyone beamed, a much needed distraction from everything that'd been going on between Archie's arrest and the aftermath of the war with the Ghoulies. Even Lane smiled, and it was a rare sight to see such joy on her usually unhappy face.

"So the plan is to mingle a little bit before we do the cake and presents, then the guys will take everything back to your house and the girls will get to do the activities my wonderful beau was kind enough to set up," Cheryl said this to Lane but she was looking to where Toni now stood on her other side. "Thanks babe."

"Yes, because in this case the gender reveal is for the best friend."

Cheryl turned to Lane and very seriously told her, "yes, it is." She then gently nudged Lane further into the room. "Go mingle."

Giving her a look over her shoulder Lane made her way towards Mac and FP, but FP turned her around, "don't even think about it," he said and pushed her in the direction of Betty and Veronica.

With a sigh Lane shuffled over to them, Betty smiled knowing Lane didn't really like being touched but Veronica was quick to hug her. "This is really nice," Veronica said, what she meant was that it was nice to be occupied with something other than Archie's future but she blinked back the constant threat of tears that never seemed to go away.

Seeing this Lane held a hand out to Veronica who took a breath before letting Lane take her hand and place it on her stomach. Her face lit up at feeling the baby kick, and behind her Archie smiled gently though it quickly fell. She noticed Betty watching them quietly and Lane nodded seeing Betty smile before placing her hand near where Veronica's had been, Lane shifted it a little to the left so she could feel.

There was a dark shadow in her peripheral and Lane turned expecting Sweet Pea but she stilled at the sight of Reggie in the doorway. Without a word to either girl Lane left them and walked to where he stood. "Hey," she said as he kept his eyes downcast with his hands stuffed in his pockets. It looked like he'd done his hair, picked out a nice shirt, made an effort today.

"Hey," he said in kind scuffing his shoe before he peeked at her. He thought she'd be mad, tell him to leave, or worse she wouldn't care enough about him to do anything. But her face was open and her eyes as vulnerable as he felt, and he opened his mouth and the words just fell out. "I'm so sorry, Lanie."

She knew he was, it was easy to read that in his ashamed expression. A lot of bad blood built up in a short time, it was gonna take a little more than that to erase it all. "If I wasn't pregnant I'd still be mad at you," she told him, but she was so hormonal she barely recognized herself. She was this soft mushy thing most of the time and she hated it.

He nodded knowing he had a lot to make up for, and he planned to make up for all of it. "I deserve that," he said, his eyes unable to meet hers again. "I can go if you want."

"Go talk to Josie," she told him, meeting his surprised hopeful stare and she nodded to let him know she wanted him to stay. He raised his arms as though to hug her but stopped himself, and then he reached a hand toward her like he was going in for a handshake, and he sighed not sure what to do so Lane clapped him on the back as she shoved him toward Josie.  
She then turned to the pink haired girl on her right and gave a sincere, "thank you," and a quick hug before she pulled back and asked, "why does everyone have a green finger?"

"Why do you have to notice everything?" Toni asked instead.

Lane's simple reply was, "because I have eyes."

On the other side of the room Fangs sulked looking darkly at Reggie. "Who the hell invited him?"

Beside him Sweet Pea stood sipping the fruity drink Cheryl had given him watching Reggie just as untrusting. But there were eyes hot on his face and he turned seeing Cheryl still there, her eyes narrowed as she studied him. Knowingly. He shrugged saying offhanded, "I knew she'd want him here."

But still Cheryl stared, he'd put his own loathing for Reggie aside because whether Lane realized it or not she wanted her friend back. "She could've done worse," Cheryl mused more to herself than to him. And it left Sweet Pea with a brow cocked as she walked away to play the part of host. "Okay everyone," she called motioning to the magnets in the two bowls on the coffee table, "grab a mustache if you think it's a boy and a bow if you think it's a girl and follow me."

Cheryl started it off by grabbing a little blue mustache and everyone, that wasn't the four who already knew, grabbed one and they all went into the large kitchen where the cake was sitting on the island beside a board with a line down the middle. There were three pink bows to 9 blue mustaches, one bow was Jughead's and he'd snuck it on with a sly smirk because Lane let it slip to him last month.

"Would you like to do the honors?" Cheryl asked turning to Lane holding the knife to cut the cake.

Lane shrugged taking the knife feeling Sweet Pea at her back. It was a tall cake and the frosting was both blue and pink like marble with it occasionally mixing to make a lovely shade of purple. And along the side were frosted dahlias that crept up the cake and decorated the top. It was beautiful. She was almost sad to cut into it, but she pulled the slice out and set it on the plate Cheryl held out to her.

There were three layers, the top and bottom were both yellow but the middle had been dyed pink. Cheryl drew in a sharp breath and a wide smile spread over her face as she threw her arms around Lane while the others awed or cheered, FP clapped a grinning Sweet Pea on the shoulder, and Betty elbowed Jughead because she knew his funny little grin meant he'd already known.

Lane finished passing out cake, accepting everyone's congratulations with a polite thank you and a genuine smile. Now that Lane had talked to a few other people she was allowed to stand away from the groups with Mac, and with a piece of cake she was mostly just scraping off the frosting to lick off her fork. "You're staying right?" she asked looking up at his pretty face.

Mac shook his head having known she'd ask. "You know I don't identify as a girl," he reminded her.

"Yeah that's nice," Lane stated bluntly before asking again, "you're staying right?"

Looking at her out of the corner of her eye he took a bite. "Why, cause I have a vagina and you're gonna push a baby out of yours in three months?"

"Yes," was Lane's immediate answer. And she looked up at him seeing his dark brows raise and she understood that was his answer. "Oh thank god," she muttered letting her head fall to his wrapped chest relieved. "I didn't think I could handle being left on my own with them," she said feeling his shoulders shake as he laughed.

He didn't mind staying because he liked Lane, and he also knew she was really just asking for a friend. "You really are the worst at socializing," he mused feeling her nod. "Speaking of which," he nudged her in the direction of Mrs Cooper, "go socialize."

Alice smiled when she reached Lane, who really was the spitting image of her mother. "Congratulations," she told her, "daughters can be the best thing."

"Yeah, if she's anything like me," Lane licked frosting off her finger, "we're not gonna get along."

Beside herself Alice laughed and nodded. "I know the feeling," she agreed. Sometimes Betty was too much like how she used to be, and Betty used that against her. "You know," a soft smile shivered on her mouth, "I was your age when I got pregnant with my first. And I remember feeling this," she paused as she tried to find the words, "absolute terror, for nine months. And the only thing that finally calmed it was holding him, for that brief moment."

Lane nodded because she knew that fear, she felt it everyday, and sometimes feeling her move was enough. But she also knew from Betty that her mother gave her son up for adoption, and from the way Mrs Cooper swallowed this was more bitter than sweet. "That's a beautiful shawl," Lane said looking at the blue airy fabric covered in a delicate floral pattern.

Alice smiled faintly, appreciative that Lane had the wherewithal to change the subject. "Thank you, a woman at The Farm makes them."

"The Farm, is that a clothing store?" Lane asked unfamiliar with the name.

"No," Alice said with a queer laugh shaking her head, "it's a place, it's really helped me with everything."

As she told Lane about it Reggie made his way across the room where Sweet Pea was standing with Fangs. He'd opened his mouth with the intention to apologize, which wasn't enough, but Sweet Pea turned dark eyes on him and he lost the words. "This was for her," Sweet Pea told him firmly. "That's it."

Reggie took that stride having expected nothing else, he'd been floored when Toni told him Sweet Pea was the one who suggested inviting him. He had a long way to go but he was trying. "You know I don't think she's been this happy."

"Since her dad died," Sweet Pea said filling in the rest, as it always was because something in her had broken seeing him die.

"Nah man," Reggie said shaking his head, "ever."

Sweet Pea watched him walk back to Archie, who was unusually quiet and withdrawn since being released on bail and awaiting trial. And then his eyes moved to Lane who now stood by Mrs McCoy seeing a lightness to her that hadn't existed when he first met her, a light that was able to shine through now that they'd broken down her walls. Fangs nudged him with his shoulder. "The same could be said of you,"

He'd never really thought of the future, of what he wanted or what he could want, he never really thought he'd have much of one. His world was the kind of small that was claustrophobic, something he'd never escape or rise above and he'd convinced himself he was okay with that. But then Lane came around and somewhere along the way their futures merged and when he thought of what he wanted he saw her. And now it was this, her and a baby, happy and in love. She made him want forever.

"Were you able to talk to your boss?" Sierra asked Lane, offering her the frosting she'd found too rich.

Which Lane happily took and licked her fork before answering. "I talked to Spyder today, we're a little understaffed," since half their guys had either left town or joined the Ghoulies after the fight, "but he's okay if I do half days Tuesdays and Thursdays when Sweet Pea and I get back."

Sierra nodded pleased enough with that. "An internship would look very good on your college application to Harvard," she mused feigning innocence. "Your work this summer and your help with Mr Fogarty's case, I'd be happy to write a recommendation."

"Well," Lane chuckled with an almost shy smile, "I graduate before Sweet Pea so I'll have another year before I think about applying." Lane didn't have much of an opinion regarding Josie, but she liked Mrs McCoy.

"A whole year interning at my office, that'll look even better."

"Yes it will," Mary said having come to ask Lane the same thing Sierra had regarding whether she was helping them with Archie's case. "I worked closely with your father, he was the best of the best." She'd known Larry Vivian very well, they considered dating before Lane's mother snatched him up and left him dangling from her careless finger for years.

Lane nodded remembering how often Mary had come over or her dad had gone to the Andrews' when they were working a case together, she'd made sure both Lane and her dad were fed after her mom left them. She'd been the one to introduce her dad to Rebecca.

The three talked a little more, Betty joining them also asking if Lane was helping on Archie's case, then the women talked and Lane and Betty talked about splitting the workload and maybe going to the library together to look into a few things.

Cheryl declared it was time for gifts and she opened the foyer only Toni had been allowed in and gushed over how pretty and pink everything was. Lane looked at Toni with a knowing grin. "You did this for her."

Toni shrugged though she traced Cheryl's smile, storing it to memory. "It's a little for you too," she said even though she'd picked this all out with Cheryl in mind. There was a gentleness in the way Lane was looking at her and Toni teased, "does this mean you finally think I'm good enough for her?"

"I do love Cheryl," Lane said looking at her as she dictated where everyone would sit and arranged the gifts according to which was going to be opened first, "but that was always the other way around."

It took her a moment before she understood what Lane meant, that Lane was waiting for Cheryl to prove good enough for her, and Toni's face all but fell apart as she looked away trying to get herself together. And when she did she looked back to Lane who was grinning like a little shit. "How is it you're the worst person I know, but you're also the sweetest?" she asked thinking Lane was like a damn sourpatch kid.

"It's her thing," Sweet Pea said coming up behind her wrapping his hands around the bottom of her stomach as though cupping it. He ducked his head and quietly reminded her, "and you said you didn't want a baby shower."

Lane turned her head looking up at him sternly. "No, I said I didn't care if I had one," she corrected before turning back to the unfolding scene before her. People were still filing in, grabbing snacks before they sat where Cheryl told them to. "And I was wrong, this is nice," she admitted softly, as though not even she wanted to hear it.

He knew she'd like it, and that later she'd cross things off the list of what they needed to buy with a little smile as she wrote everyone a thank you note. Bending to kiss her cheek he pushed her forward. "Go open your presents."

She turned to him with her brows drawn together frowning, finally realizing he'd had a hand in everything. "I'm gonna cry aren't I?" she asked unhappily.

"There are tissues on standby."

While he smirked she sighed making her way to Cheryl who directed her to the chair set at the head of the circle, and she pointed a sharp finger to the seat next to her where Sweet Pea sat.

Lane got her diapers and her burp clothes, and also a pack of three blankets, pacifiers that were attached to little plush critters, bottles and a baby monitor. These were split between the Coopers, McCoys and Andrews, who Lane thanked emphatically.

Cheryl then handed Lane Reggie's sloppily wrapped gift. "I asked my mom what to get so it's more from her," Reggie told her.

Pulling off the paper Lane saw it was a very nice diaper bag, and it had pockets all around the sides and inside had compartments so it could be organized. "Kiss your mother for me, I didn't even think of this," Lane said showing Sweet Pea all the pockets. And he nodded pretending to be impressed.

"There's something else in there," Reggie told her.

Lane looked through all the little compartments and found tucked in one an old picture. "No way," she said bringing a hand to her mouth as she laughed.

Looking over her shoulder Sweet Pea saw it was a picture of her and Reggie, she couldn't have been more than five, and they both wore the biggest smiles as they stood with their arms around each other. "Look at that hair." She used to have the curliest hair, it'd been almost as big as her head.

She mouthed thank you to Reggie as Sweet Pea took the picture to show Fangs, who showed Toni, and eventually it was just passed around. For the next present Veronica stood at Cheryl's nod and the two girls grabbed a very large basket wrapped in plastic. "This is from me and my mother, who was very sad she couldn't be here," Veronica said as they set it in front of Lane.

"Oh my god," she breathed seeing it was a nursing basket complete with a nursing pillow, breast pads, lotion, bottles, a hands free breast pump and milk bags. She stared at the basket for several moments holding her breath until the tears passed.

Before any could fall Veronica told her, "although, now that I know it's a girl I will be ordering clothes from the cutest boutique in New York. You will love it," before she could finish Lane stood throwing her arms around her. By this point they'd shared several hugs but this was the first one Lane initiated and Veronica soaked that in as long as Lane let her, which wasn't very long.

Lane pulled back dabbing at the corners of her eyes which had dampened a little. She sat back down and looked to Cheryl, who motioned to FP and Jughead. "So our present's coming later," FP told her, seeing her eyes harden as she caught on quickly, "the Serpents all contributed to get you guys something."

"I said no gifts," Lane said, because what was left of the Serpents currently lived in tents. She'd told them getting her through last year was enough.

But FP shook his head. "You knew we weren't gonna listen."

That included Mac, Toni, and Fangs. However Fangs reached around Sweet Pea holding out an envelope to Lane. "I still got you something though," he told her.

Lane glanced up at Sweet Pea but he shook his head not knowing what it was. He looked over her shoulder as she opened the envelope and pulled out five pieces of paper that read, one free night of babysitting. Sweet Pea laughed clapping Fangs' arm appreciatively, and Lane leaned around him to kiss Fangs' smiling cheek.

"I will start charging after five though," he told her only half serious.

She shook her head at him sitting back, finding herself so happy she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. It was like an itch she couldn't scratch. She then looked to Cheryl hoping they were done, she didn't know if she had anymore smiles in her, her face was starting to hurt.

Cheryl bit her lip as she reached a hand to Lane to pull her up. "You probably noticed we covered everything you actually put on your list," she said and Lane nodded. "I got you the one thing you wanted that you couldn't put on there." She watched Lane first blink confused before a slow understanding laced with desperate hope filled her eyes. "And you know how I love a good entrance so yes I planned for her to get here just in time to be your present."

Lane turned to the door seeing Toni waving someone in and tears flooded her eyes at the sight of Rebecca coming. Her shoulders shook with crying laughter as she rushed forward hugging her tight, hearing Rebecca call her monkey in hindi as she always had.

"You told me you weren't pregnant," she reminded Lane as she pulled back wiping her wet cheeks.

"I didn't know I was lying," was Lane's defense. She looked so beautiful, and Lane couldn't believe she was here. "You're planning for the wedding." It was less than a week away, her and Sweet Pea were flying out in two days.

But Rebecca waved that away as she fixed her hijab elegantly. "And miss the shower of my first grandchild," she said gently shaking Lane's chin. The two turned and Rebecca spread her arms to envelope Sweet Pea in a warm hug.

Cheryl turned to Fangs and proudly told him, "and that's why I'm the best friend."

"I don't remember her saving your life," was his comeback, and he shrugged like he'd just won the argument.

But Cheryl's face didn't change. "You're really gonna go there?" she asked rhetorically. "Because coming back for you almost got her killed, three times."

"Play nice," Toni told them, as she was starting to have to always tell them. The only thing that shut them up was Lane, who was quick to inform them her best friend was Sweet Pea.

The boys loaded up Lane's car with everything, most of them were riding in the bed of FP's truck, and Mac happily took his chance to leave now that Lane was distracted with Rebecca being there. "Cheryl and Toni are bringing you to the camp," Sweet Pea told her as they stood in the doorway. "I will not come get you if you fall suddenly ill," her shoulders fell with her sigh at him knowing her too well, "and remember to be nice." With a hand under her chin turning her face to him he bent down kissing her frowning mouth. "Your pouty kisses are the best."

"Shut up," she grumbled even as she got her hands around the back of his head pulling him in for another. As he started to give in she pulled away, and it was his turn to pout. "Sure you don't want me to come home early?" she half teased, still looking for an out.

He hummed pulling away not letting her have it. "No, your last present's not ready yet," he said watching a crease etch between her brows. Grinning he gave her another quick kiss before he headed out so they could drop off everything at home, so the rest of the Serpents could head to camp to help out; minus Sweet Pea because he wasn't allowed to know what was going on either.

…

A couple hours later the girls pulled up to where the Serpents had set up camp, Cheryl and Toni were holding hands while Lane and Betty made their way to their respective partners. Everyone that was left was there and they'd even straightened up. "We didn't think you'd care much for decorations," Hog Eye said, and Lane shook her head because she really didn't, "but we've got food and company. And a little something else," he added.

"You guys didn't have to do anything," she told them again, thinking they'd done enough by taking her in.

"Honey you've been juggling school and work while making sure every single one of us is fed everyday for the last month," Birdie told her, and behind her several voiced their agreement. "We were getting you something."

Feeling Sweet Pea's arm wrap around her shoulders she looked up at him and he shook his head because he didn't know what this was either. FP and Jughead came back carrying something between them, but it was turned in such a way Lane couldn't see it. "We didn't have wrapping paper," FP said as he and Jughead brought it around to show them.

It was a car seat and stroller, the high end one Lane really wanted but knew they couldn't afford. "No way," Sweet Pea said, his face unusually open and soft. But they looked at Lane who blinked silently with a blank expression, and they watched her raise a hand to her mouth as though to hide the way her chin quivered.

FP stepped to her wrapping her in his arms and the others followed surrounding Lane and Sweet Pea with more love than Lane had ever felt. It took her several minutes of sniffing, of each of them either hugging her or squeezing her arm, before she finally pulled herself together. And then she was whisked away from Sweet Pea and offered food as they demanded to know what she was having.

Toni moved to his side and told him, "Cheryl and I are stealing her tomorrow morning, Rebecca's gonna bring the things by because she said she needed to talk to you. And no," she said before he asked, "she didn't say about what."

With his brows drawn deeply, and worriedly, together, Sweet Pea nodded. Though he learned soon enough the next day when Rebecca came after Lane had gone to spend her last morning with Cheryl and Toni. They all met up for lunch at a bistro Cheryl recommended, which was in the next town over within walking distance of a kid's clothing store Cheryl was dying to go to now that she knew it was a girl.

Cheryl, Lane, and Rebecca chittered away like old friends falling back into it effortlessly as Cheryl and Rebecca held up various newborn outfits and gushing, and Lane finding it all unbearably cute as she stood with a hand on her stomach. A little ways behind Sweet Pea and Toni stood together wearing similar warm expressions as they looked at their partners.

"You look like you could cry," Toni said meaning it to be a joke. But Sweet Pea's eyes grew wet and her mouth dropped open as she suddenly understood what Rebecca talked to him about. "Oh my god, are you gonna do it? No you can't," she immediately decided. But Sweet Pea shrugged unable to answer, to say anything. He'd barely been able to get through lunch.

They stayed out long enough to get dinner and they went back to Lane and Sweet Pea's, Rebecca went back to the hotel so she could get ready to fly out with them tomorrow, but Cheryl and Lane stood holding each other like the next three months were going to be an eternity. Lane and Sweet Pea would only be gone two weeks but Cheryl and Toni were going on their cross country trip, and Lane and Cheryl had planned it so they were leaving the same day. Toni finally got Cheryl to leave, Lane promising she'd call if she went into labor early.

But Sweet Pea closed and locked the door and turned finding he was so glad to just be alone with her. Lane carelessly kicked off her shoes and made her way to the bedroom with the intention to change into a nightgown because frankly she was tired of wearing pants. But before she made it to the doorway Sweet Pea covered her eyes. "What did you do?" she asked, having been insanely curious what he'd gotten her.

"You'll see," he said leading her into the room and turning her so she was facing the wall where the dresser used to be.

She blinked when he removed his hands from over eyes and she found herself looking at an old wooden crib he'd painted white with little flowers trailing over the bars. Without a single word she looked up at him so incredibly in love with him.

"FP helped make sure it was stable," he told her. It'd taken a while to get it fixed up, painting it had been the easiest part. He then nudged her to one end of it, and he watched her face fall to one of surprise as she saw what he'd done on the side panel. He'd painted a tree with a doe a buck and a little fawn on the bottom and a few birds on the branches, but there were green fingerprints filling in as leaves. "What are you thinking?" he asked softly, wrapping his arms around her.

There were a lot of thoughts but they were all of him. He'd made the worst year of her life the very best, he'd actually given her a life, a future to want. Like she'd been stuck until she met him and something in her finally woke up and she'd come alive again. He made her so happy, and loved, and frustrated. Lane wasn't a happy person, but there wasn't anyone else she'd rather be unhappy with. "Ask me," she said looking up at him desperately.

He stared down at her for a shocked moment before he released a breath of a laugh and asked, "will you marry me?"

Lane nodded with tears filling her eyes. "Yes," she barely said before he was kissing her. And her arms came around his shoulders pulling him closer. "I mean, obviously not until you graduate," she said between kisses. He hummed against her mouth not even bothering trying to speak. "And it's not official until you get a ring."

Pulling out the small box he'd had in his pocket all day he held it open between them and cheekily asked, "you mean like this one?" He watched her face slacken as she recognized it, the ring her father had given Rebecca, that Rebecca had been holding onto and had now given Sweet Pea.

Lane knew that ring very well, a pear shaped diamond set across the band with smaller stones framing it, she'd thought it the most beautiful thing. It was simple, refined, which was Rebecca's taste and in turn was Lane's. They might've done this completely out of order and way too soon, but this was everything she'd never known she wanted. "I'm not wearing that yet," she told him.

The corners of his mouth curled. "I'm not sure it'd fit til after you have her," he said, and laughed when she smacked him. But a breath passed between them and suddenly it didn't feel so heavy, and it just felt right. "Tell you what," he closed the box and put it back in his pocket, "this stays between me and you, and I'll ask you again like I planned and we'll make it official then."

"Like you planned?"

"Yeah, when we found out I thought of marrying you then, you know, do the right thing," he said with a shrug. "But I'd already thought of how I wanted to do it." He remembered the exact day he knew how he was gonna propose to her.

And her brow rose in question. "How long have you thought about marrying me?"

A small, almost shy, smile spread on his mouth. "Before I knocked you up," he admitted. Her mouth opened slightly in surprise at hearing that and he shrugged again. "What about you?" he asked, knowing it'd taken her longer. Til about a few weeks ago.

"Honestly I don't think much of marriage," she told him, "and if there wasn't a baby I wouldn't be thinking about it at all." He nodded knowing that, but it still hurt a little. She knew it did and she took his hand in hers before telling him, "but I've known for a while I wanted to hang out with you forever." She waited for his smile. "And if I have to sign a paper and wear a ring to do that, then I guess I can live with it."

"Just think, if anyone looks at you I can yell, 'that's my wife,' before I hit them," Sweet Pea told her, as he'd been dying to tell her since he thought of it.

Lane looked up at him a moment before her palm hit the center of his chest, which didn't move him so much as surprise him, and said, "that's my husband you bitch." She considered that before nodding looking pleased. "Okay, that's kind of awesome," she said with a quiet laugh.

"Right?" he agreed.

Stomping in from the hallway where he'd been eavesdropping Fangs exclaimed outraged, "are you guys kidding me?" Sweet Pea and Lane shared a look before they started laughing in full.

.^.

 _Three months later_

Lane half sat and half laid on the couch with her legs stretched out on the chaise, and with Sweet Pea's head propped up on her belly watching every so often the sharp point of the baby's elbow drag across Lane's stomach. Occasionally she kicked his head but he didn't mind.

At Lane's small gasp he quickly looked up thinking she was going into labor, the immediate conclusion he'd been jumping to for the last month. But Lane was smiling as she looked at her phone. "They're back," she told him, not bothering to comment on his disappointment. "Cheryl wants me over so push me up."

He sighed sitting up and helped her to her feet and went with her to the room grabbing a bag for her and putting in the clothes she wanted, he then got a few things from the bathroom. "You sure this is a good idea?" he asked looking at her. She was still small except for that belly, which now looked more in line with a beach ball, but it wasn't as high up. "I think your stomach dropped."

He hadn't left her alone for what felt like a second the last week, everyone talked about expecting moms nesting but they didn't say anything about the dad. "We noticed that a couple days ago," she reminded him as she headed for the door, and waited as he helped slip her shoes on.

"I'm just saying," he followed her out of the house to the car, "you're due in a week, you shouldn't be doing a lot." Is what he said, what he meant was she shouldn't doing things without him.

But Lane took the bag from him and stored it in the trunk beside her hospital bag that he packed and put in there a while ago. "I'll text you when I get there," she told him. "I'm also stopping by the store, would you like me to give a play by play how that goes too?"

His answer was to pop her on the ass before he knelt in front of her kissing lower on her stomach where they could feel her head telling her, "love you." He then looked up seeing Lane's sweet face and he stood catching her mouth on the way up. "Love you too."

He watched her drive off, waiting until he lost sight of her taillights before he headed back inside and slumped on the couch. "You are so not ready for this," Fangs said sitting on the other end, where he'd been all night.

"Not even a little," Sweet Pea agreed finding himself as he'd been the last two months needing to do more. "I just feel like I'm gonna do it wrong," he said thinking he wasn't gonna be what Lane needed when she needed him.

But Fangs wasn't letting him have it. "Do what wrong? She's gonna do all the work," he said having watched labor videos with Lane, or rather he'd been forcing her and Sweet Pea to watch them. Which is probably why Sweet Pea was so freaked out. "That's why I'm here, to keep her calm while you panic. Between the two of us we've got your girls covered." He extended a hand to Sweet Pea, and Sweet Pea let out a breath of a relieved laugh and clapped Fangs' hand holding it for a short time before letting go.

…

He and Fangs went by camp the next morning, Jughead tapped Fangs to look for the Ghoulies as they'd been looking for them all summer. And then they headed to Cheryl's for the party. It was a nice little break before school started back in only a couple days, before Lane was gonna have the baby. He had to remind himself to soak it all in while he could.

It's why he didn't notice at first. He hung out with Josie for a little bit, who he'd started talking to last year in one of the classes they had together – it surprised him how agreeable he found her. She was focusing on her music, taking a break from boys by which she meant Reggie.

But they went their separate ways and Sweet Pea found himself looking for Lane, who he realized he hadn't seen. She should've been in the pool, which they'd taken advantage of many times that summer because she liked to float with a pool noodle around her back gently kicking her legs. Instead he found Cheryl and Toni.

Cheryl stood when she saw Sweet Pea. "Where is she? I was very disappointed when she cancelled on me last night," Cheryl told him, her red painted mouth trying to pout. Lane first agreed and then ten minutes later said she wasn't feeling well and was staying home. Toni told her not to blame Lane, she was incredibly pregnant. But Cheryl watched Sweet Pea's face turn to stone as his breathing shallowed and came in loud fast pants. And her heart dropped into her stomach "No."

Someone ran up behind him and Sweet Pea turned to Fangs with his hands balled into tight fists, his body shaking with rage. "Where is she?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Fangs' eyes were wide, his breathing short from how fast he'd run. "The Ghoulies have her," he told him seeing the way his black eyes burned.

* * *

 _So, in writing this chapter I started to consider how season three would go if I let Lane and Sweet Pea keep the baby. Which floored me because I never intended to let them have her, ever (I don't really like teen pregnancies or teen parents). But, I was already planning a one shot where they had the baby so I thought why not just make that this story and this can just be happy all around. However there is still a tragedy that takes place between episodes 2 and 3 - it'll push Sweet Pea towards the game, and if you caught my little hint in this chapter you know where Lane's going.  
So unless people really hate the idea of them having the baby, or someone makes a really good point against it - I am planning for them to have her. So if any of you noticed the title of this alternate story, There Goes My Life is a wonderful song by Kenny Chesney and it's a pretty good representation of where I think Sweet Pea's head is. Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoyed because I had a lot of fun with this one. _


	13. There Goes My Life - part 2

**XIII. There Goes My Life - part 2**

She was in the store no more than ten minutes getting the few things Cheryl requested, since they just got back into town that night and there wasn't much food at her place. Lane couldn't complain too much since she knew the food was mostly for her. She'd just set the bag in the trunk when she heard something loud rustling behind her, it wasn't until she looked over her shoulder seeing four Ghoulies that she realized it was the chains on one of their jeans.

"Seriously?" she asked in a tone that could've been considered whining. But her lower back was killing her and she just wanted to be at Cheryl's and not have to move anymore. Whether it was how irritable she looked or the fact that she wasn't the least bit concerned none of the boys responded. "How long are you keeping me?"

"Til Penny decides to let you go," one of them answered.

Lane groaned grabbing both the plastic bag from the store and her hospital bag and shoved it at the Ghoulie closest to her. "Let's go then," she told them sternly, pushing her way through them and headed to the souped up car she figured was theirs.

"Your phone."

A heavy sigh went out of her, that having been her plan, and she turned pulling her phone out and throwing it at the unfortunate Ghoulie that happened to be closest. He flinched as it hit his chest and fell to the ground. "Hop to," she told them and resumed her slow waddling to their car.

She sat in the middle of the backseat stuck between two of them, and she had her hands fitted over her very round belly. There was a sudden sharp pinching in her groin and she shifted a little to the left and released a tired breath when it went away. The young man behind the wheel looked at her in the rearview mirror wondering if this had been a good idea.

They finally made it to a cabin somewhere within Fox Forest, Lane had never been here and so far the Serpents hadn't tracked the Ghoulies here. Sweet Pea had already texted her asking if she'd made it to Cheryl's, the guy next to her had actually responded in a way that sounded like her – he then texted Cheryl saying she wasn't feeling well and that she was staying home. So Lane knew it would be morning at the very least when someone figured out she was gone, and who knew when they'd find her here.

But the way Lane saw it she was a time bomb, and the fact that none of them had actually touched her not even to get her in the car and she was wondering if they'd been given the order not to hurt her. Which would mean she was bait, they mentioned Penny so it was probably to get Jughead here.

The car was raised on over-large wheels, the kind Lane normally rolled her eyes at, but it made getting out easy as she swung her legs out and slowly slid until she was on the ground. "Thanks," she told the kid that stood with a hand on her arm prepared to help if needed.

They took her inside which reeked of stale smoke and too many bodies stuffed in one place. The Ghoulie she knew to be Malachai stood when he saw her and his mouth carved a cruel grin as he slunk closer. But Penny slid in front of him knowing his predisposed loathing for all things Serpents would make him act out, and they'd been told specifically not to touch this girl. "How's the Thelma to my Louise?" she asked, bearing no love for the Serpents either. But this girl, she meant something to a lot of different people.

"In need of a bathroom," Lane answered honestly. She was escorted to one and she swallowed her disgust at how dirty it was and peed before coming out, seeing most everyone was lining the walls waiting for what they doing with her. "So what do you want with Jughead?" she asked Penny, easing herself into a seat across from her at the table.

She smirked scooting a glass of water to the girl that looked more annoyed than worried by her current predicament. "Forgot how much I liked you," she said taking a swig of her beer. She was so used to Serpents and Ghoulies she'd forgotten Lane was a different breed – one closer to her own. "We just wanna talk," she said seeing Lane didn't buy it, and Penny didn't really care. "So when he sends a scout we'll lead him here so he can see we have you."

Lane nodded having figured she was only the bait, there wasn't much else they could use her for at the moment. But it was more than that, they knew the Serpents were spying and tomorrow had been decided intentionally. Looking at Penny's glittering eyes Lane said, "you know it's one of my boys." It was Fangs' turn tomorrow.

"What'd I tell you," Penny said looking up at where Malachai stood behind Lane, "she's the best they've got." They had the Serpent's biggest player, who also happened to be the most vulnerable. They were gonna come the moment they found out she was here.

Two hands hooked around the arms of Lane's chair as he leaned forward hovering over her in a manner that was supposed to be threatening. "And yet my boys tell me you didn't even put up a fight," Malachai said in her ear. It was getting to him how unaffected she was by all this, how calm.

Lane's face screwed up as she craned her neck to meet his burning stare. "Should I have made a run for it or used my stomach as a battering ram?" she posed rhetorically, seeing his nostril's flare as he grit his teeth. She was pushing it but given her current circumstance she was a little cranky. "From how butthurt you look I'm guessing you know I'm the Serpent bitch that took your guy out with my car last year. So the next time you wanna insinuate I'm weak, remind yourself the only reason you were able to get to me is because I'm 39 weeks pregnant. And on that note," she scooted forward in the chair, "help me up because I have to pee again."

Muttering curses under his breath he got his hands around her back helping her awkwardly to her feet, noticing the way she hesitated with a hand on the table and her brows deeply drawn together before she shuffled to the back.

.^.

They let Lane sleep on the couch, or rather they gave her the couch to sleep on and she did everything but sleep. She was restless and achy, and she really wanted Sweet Pea. For the most part she talked quietly with the same kid that'd helped her out of the car. She learned his name was West, and he was Sweet Pea's age so a year younger than her. He was artistic like Mac, quiet like him too. He asked what she was having and told her about his little sister. He didn't fit her image of the Ghoulies.

It was a little before noon when Penny got the call that they were headed their way and Malachai escorted Lane outside so she could pace out there. She'd been pacing most of the morning, her hand on her lower back, wincing every now at then at a sudden cramping low in her abdomen lasting several seconds before it stopped.

She was brought back inside when the guy they had tailing Fangs confirmed he'd seen Lane was now running back to his motorcycle. Lane knew they'd come up with a plan to get her out that wouldn't involve anyone being almost beaten to death, she'd go home listen to Sweet Pea say he told her so and that she was never leaving the house again, and everything would be fine. But it didn't feel like it would be, in fact she felt like something was just off.

"What do you have to eat?" she asked more because she knew it was lunchtime rather than the actual want to eat. She'd been nauseous the last few days and thankfully that went away but she noticed she wasn't the slightest bit hungry.

Beside her Malachai chuckled darkly. "You really think you're in the position to make demands?" He was just about sick of her and the fact they weren't able to do anything to do her, Lodge had been very clear she was off limits. He'd probably be pissed knowing they had her now.

"I take it that's your answer," she said sighing as she shuffled into what was supposed to be a kitchen. It was clear not much cooking happened, and raiding their sparse pantry she didn't think they did a lot of eating here. There was spaghetti but no tomato sauce, or any milk, or cheese, or even meat. But there was butter and a little jar of chopped garlic.

She spent several minutes cleaning first the stove then the pot she was gonna use, both had been crusted with old food. But everyone noticed when she started cooking, she threw the two boxes of pasta in the boiling water and melted the butter in the cast iron. Realizing she was cooking for all of them they sat around sneaking glances, not wanting anything to do with her or at least trying not to seem like it. She told West to grab the paper plates out of the grocery bag she'd brought, she was tired of doing dishes so she'd been using disposable plates and silverware. They were lucky because there wasn't more than five plates in that place.

When she was done she turned around to see a cluster of Ghoulies waiting, and she scooped buttery noodles onto plates and passed them out. She didn't get more than a handful of thank yous, but she got a lot of small nods and thumbs up to let her know it was good. They hadn't had a home cooked meal in a while if they thought that was good, she thought.

Penny was the last to come by, having silently observed her apathy. "Is this part of the nesting they always talk about?" she asked wondering what her angle was. If she thought cooking would get them to let her go, because Penny wasn't letting her go until she had Jughead.

"I guess," Lane said giving Penny the last of it, not saving any for herself because she still wasn't hungry. It wasn't getting everything ready to the point of obsessive, that's what Sweet Pea was doing; hers was the need to take care of everyone. And she hated it.

A sharp pressure built and she held onto the counter with her eyes screwed shut waiting for it to pass. It was so much she almost couldn't breathe, she had to remind herself she needed to and she breathed through it the way the videos and the classes taught. The way Fangs had her practice – Fangs because Sweet Pea was sent into a panic just at the thought of labor. "Oh god," Lane breathed in reluctant understanding. She'd been ignoring it because it felt like cramping, because she'd been having false labor pains for a week and it was just a slightly more intense version of that.

She turned to her left feeling someone come up beside her and saw it was West, who'd been watching her closely since early that morning. "I noticed it a couple hours ago, you were every thirty minutes then," he told her, meeting her hard irritable eyes, "that one was a little under ten."

"Son of a bitch," Lane muttered thinking of course it would happen now. Of course Sweet Pea was right, now he was gonna tell her he told her so for that too and that really just pissed her off.

She started pacing again, both hands fitted against her back. And like clockwork she'd stop and if she was near something she'd grab onto it until it passed or if she wasn't she'd stand with her face turned to the ceiling breathing steadily. It didn't take long for the others to realize what was happening, Malachai wore an uneasy but determined look. They were close now, a few hours Jughead and his little band of Serpents would come to collect their girl, the others could take her to the hospital but Jughead was staying.

The sun sunk low in the sky and shadows crept along the walls as they kept the lights off wanting the Serpents currently casing the place to think no one was there, and all the while Lane continued pacing. Her breathing was heavy and ragged and sweat was beading on her brow. A choked moan escaped her and she grabbed the hand that was held out for her and she squeezed, clenching her teeth hard enough to crack them. "Breathe," she heard someone say and she sucked in a shaky breath and blew it out of her mouth before taking another.

"That seemed closer," Malachai said from where he sat watching her. He was jostling his leg up and down, his mouth pursed around a heavy frown.

"No," West said looking at the timer, "they're lasting longer." Each one was a little under a minute and they were coming every three.

Lane let go of the guy she was holding onto and he hissed shaking his cramped hand, saying it felt like she broke it. "I'd apologize but I don't think I give a shit," Lane said resuming her mindless walking. Fangs had looked up everything about labor and he'd told her all of it: there first stage was early labor the second was active labor then transitioning then pushing – and she was about two hours into the second stage. Which meant she should've gone to the hospital two hours ago.

"Why the long face?" Penny asked Malachai as she sat beside him, amusement shining in her eyes.

He shook his head scowling. "This isn't good for us," he said thinking they were pushing this too close. If something happened to her or that damn kid either here or on the way to the hospital, that was gonna be on him.

But Penny chuckled lightly. "Please, they'll give us anything when they find out how close she is to having that baby." It was perfect, and she nearly smiled as Lane had another contraction.

…

They stood against the truck around the back of the building, so far there was no movement or any other sign anyone was there. "It's been an hour and no sign of anyone," Toni said tired of waiting. They knew she was inside, Fangs saw her with Malachai.

Jughead nodded knowing it was now or never. "Alright, I'll see how many are in there and come back to regroup. Everyone knows the plan if this is a trap?" Fangs and Toni gave their affirmative and Jughead pushed off from the truck and headed toward the side of the building, planning to look through one of the boarded windows for any sign of who all was inside. And to see how their girl was holding up, because if a single hair was out of place Sweet Pea wouldn't stay in the truck.

Jughead crept past the gate seeing there was a gap between two boards on a window: his first thought was that it was perfect for him to try to see inside, and his second thought was the sudden realization he was seeing the dim glow from a candle. Bright blinding lights cut on around the house and he froze as Penny and her lackeys led by Malachai came around to greet him. "Hi Jonsie," she cooed sardonically as he grimaced looking at the Ghoulies flanking him.

The five left by the truck all tensed, Sweet Pea climbed out of the truck where he'd been told to wait because he was too close to this to not mess up. Betty stepped forward wanting to back Jughead up but Cheryl dragged her back telling her, "not yet cousin." They'd planned for this, Toni and Fangs snuck far to the left out of sight before they quietly moved to the back of the house, seeing a backdoor.

"I considered a few different ways of getting you here," Penny told the boy who now stood alone, his Serpents unable to get to him without going through the Ghoulies. "I hear ponytail's a Serpent now, she would've gotten you. But Lane," she tsked shaking her head, "she's got all of you riled up." And that had been the point, the hardest blow not the easiest. "We need to talk."

"No we don't Penny," Jughead said not wanting anything to do with her. "We're here for Lane, that's all."

She rolled her eyes. "If you didn't want trouble then why have you been sending spies all summer trying to get in our business?" she asked seeing his expression freeze as he tried to come up with a response. "We've got your girl, now you're gonna back off. Or," she said seeing Jughead take a breath, waiting for what she really wanted, "we can make a trade: you for Lane." She watched him scoff and she grinned, knowing she had him beat. "Before you say no," she raised her voice so the ones behind him would hear too, "your girl's been in labor for about ten hours."

Jughead knew what that did to Sweet Pea, that there was no backing down from this. And he thought fast considering Penny's play. "I wanna see her," he said not willing to just take Penny's word. The likelihood Lane was actually in labor was pretty even with Penny lying to make it seem more urgent.

But Malachai stepped forward, having enough of Jughead's above all attitude. "Boy, you don't get to make demands." He took another step and was thrown back by an arrow lodging itself in his shoulder.

"Cheryl," Jughead cried turning to see her standing in the bed of the truck with another arrow notched.

But she shrugged smiling pleasantly and said, "told you I was in the mood for some hellraising." Jughead turned back to Penny a grin playing at his lips – they'd gotten Lane out.

While he'd been talking to Penny Cheryl had been watching Toni and Fangs, who'd gotten to the door. It was thrown open and Fangs shifted his hold on his switchblade ready to lunge at the man who had an ax. There was a sick thud as something slammed against his head and he fell limp to the ground.

"Lane," Fangs breathed at the sight of her standing there holding the cast iron with the hospital bag slung on her shoulder. But she dropped it and her hands hooked around the doorframe to keep herself from falling as the next contraction started. "Oh my god," he said hearing her breathe like they'd been practicing, seeing the sweat on her forehead and the way she grimacing. "She's in labor what do we do?"

Toni shoved him aside and got Lane moving out the door and toward the truck. "She needs one of you, you can't both freak out," she hissed at Fangs, waving to Cheryl to let her know they had Lane. And that's when Cheryl had grabbed her bow.

"That's it," Penny said having enough of this, Lane was inside Lodge wouldn't care about the others. "Kill 'em all."

Jughead turned looking over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of Toni and Fangs helping Lane toward the truck. "Cheryl, aim your next arrow right between Penny's eyes." That was enough for Penny to throw a hand up, holding her dogs off as she reconsidered the situation. "If you and your Ghoulies take one more step she's gonna release that arrow. Cheryl doesn't miss."

It was dead quiet as they waited for what Penny decided, if she'd risk it. Quiet enough they heard Lane's strangled gasp and Penny looked to see her leverage being helped into the truck. She turned back to Jughead seething. "Congratulations, you just made the Northside fair game."

He wasn't that concerned considering they were in Hiram's pocket, they wouldn't attack without his say. Seeing the Ghoulies standing down Jughead stepped back gaining distance, and then he turned marching briskly back to the truck.

Sweet Pea took off before Betty got the door closed and Jughead turned to the back seeing Cheryl on one side of Lane and Fangs on other, Cheryl being the one to tell her to breathe when the next contraction started. Throwing the window open Sweet Pea called back, "how far along are we?"

Cheryl looked to Fangs because he was the one who was supposed to be doing this, but his eyes were wide and his mouth gaping. "I don't know maybe a little more than a minute, they're lasting about as long too," she answered hearing him curse as he sped up.

Lane wasn't a very reactive person she was usually pretty calm, but there something about being in that truck with the thought of them not making it to the hospital as she felt like she wanted to push and the fact that Sweet Pea was there but not with her. She was not calm.

"How you doing baby?" Sweet Pea asked wanting to be with her, it was killing him that he wasn't, but his job had been manning the truck.

She was barely able to fully catch her breath before another one started, it was just so much pressure, she wanted to scream. "I want you."

He heard the tears in her voice and beside him Jughead said, "we're still ten minutes from the hospital."

Sweet Pea hit the breaks telling Jughead to drive as he threw himself out of the truck and climbed into the bed shoving Fangs out of the way. He grabbed her hand feeling it clench tight around his, tight enough it honestly took his breath away and he had to bite his tongue to keep from asking her to let up. "We're gonna breathe okay," he told her and she shook her head.

"I can't," she sighed and clenched her teeth around another contraction. Beside her Cheryl assured her that of course she could, she was so strong – Lane was so goddamn tired of hearing that.

Sweet Pea met her tired eyes and nodded. "I know," he told her, considering the possibility of her actually giving birth in this truck, "but you're going to anyways."

She looked at him hearing that, that she had to, and slowly she nodded because she knew she did. He breathed with her, held her hand when she told him she was wrong and she didn't want him, wiped the sweat that dripped from her brow.

"They're not coming as fast, that's good right," Cheryl said smoothing Lane's sweat-dampened hair back.

Sweet Pea didn't actually know, he could never handle getting this far when Fangs talked about it. So they looked to Fangs who felt his shocked mind kick into gear at knowing the answer. "Yeah, that means the baby's coming," he said, because from everything he'd learned that was the end of the transition phase. "You're gonna feel like you need to push," he told Lane.

"Yeah no shit," Lane yelled at him nearly flattening Cheryl and Sweet Pea's hands as she squeezed.

Inside the truck Jughead pulled into the hospital and Betty, who'd looked up the number for Riverdale General and had been on the phone with a nurse for the last couple minutes let them know they were there. Jughead stopped the truck by the entrance where a nurse was waiting with a wheelchair and he jumped out of the truck to help Sweet Pea and Fangs get her out.

They wheeled her in and Jughead parked before heading inside and waiting with Betty, Cheryl and Toni. Cheryl sat with Toni holding her telling her Lane was going to be fine, she'd see them both in no time, she made her laugh betting the baby would come out with a full head of black hair. Betty and Jughead sat with his arm around her back glad this night had worked out, it could've easily gone a lot worse.

It wasn't even an hour before Fangs came through the door wearing the biggest grin. "She's 6.9 pounds and 19 inches. She's uh," he took a breath wiping his eyes but not the smile off his face, "she's beautiful."

In the room Sweet Pea looked down at where Lane lay with her over her chest, her little eyes blinking as she loosely held his finger. "Look what we did," he breathed having never thought he was capable of doing something as perfect as this. Lane was thinking something similar, but more that she didn't think this much love was possible.

They'd gotten Lane cleaned up and a nurse came by holding a clipboard with a few forms to fill out, some for them to do later but a few they needed. "So what's our little girl's name?"

Lane's face slackened with horror as she looked up at the smiling woman. "Oh my god I forgot that part," she said turning to Sweet Pea. "I thought of everything, how did I forget that?"

Sniffing he shrugged. "Good thing you have an awesome baby daddy who found one," he told her seeing her brows draw together thinking too hard to find any way to be annoyed. "It's bird of prey in Hebrew," he said because his daughter was gonna be a fighter, just like her mom. And Lane's eyes softened at hearing that. He'd known the moment he saw her it was perfect. "Daya."

That stole the air from her lungs as Lane looked at her sweet little face, that looked so much like his. "Daya," she said, like it was a promise.

…

It was a while after that the others were allowed back, after Lane had breastfed for the first time, after Sweet Pea changed her diaper because he'd been practicing for months on anything he could get a diaper on and he was quite the pro at it.

Cheryl led their small group and she just about pushed the nurse out of the way to get to Lane's side, first seeing she was in fact okay, before she gushed over the baby. "Oh Daya," she said sitting in the bed next to Lane holding her in her arms. "Maybe he's not completely useless."

"I'd hit you if you weren't holding my daughter," Lane told her as a warning. One Cheryl didn't really hear as Daya opened her mouth wide to yawn.

But it was after visiting hours and the nurse had told them they had five minutes, and she was currently standing in the doorway waiting. "Stop hogging her, we wanna hold her too," Toni said impatiently waiting her turn. Cheryl gave her a faux angry look before reluctantly sitting up to let Toni gently scoop Daya up. And she wore the softest smile looking down at her, introducing herself.

Then it was Betty's turn, who'd never gotten to hold her niece and nephew when they'd been this little. Jughead got a pump of hand sanitizer and rubbed his hands together before dragging them across his pants to dry them off. "Yeah you're gonna try that again," Lane told him in a very firm tone.

Giving her a look Jughead got a little more sanitizer and waved his wet hands in the air so they dried faster, before he let Betty set the baby in his arms. "Support her head," Betty told him reluctant to let go. Holding her it all felt so real, everything Lane had gone through in the last few months, the threat of having this taken away. "She looks like you," he said glancing up at Sweet Pea, whose eyes were so incredibly and unusually soft as he looked down at her.

"Yeah, she's got my nose."

"And you're cheeks," Lane added though she left the chunky part out, he didn't find it as amusing as she did.

But she had Lane's eyes, Jughead thought looking at her. Not the color yet, but they were as wide and they had the same shape. And no matter how angry she looked, just like Lane those big eyes would always make her look sweet.

"Alright," the nurse said, having given them closer to ten minutes. She'd been watching Lane, who though very happy looked thoroughly exhausted. The four of them left bidding them all a good night with the promise to drop in the next day, kissing both girls before they'd gone. "We can take her to the nursery for the night, let you guys get some sleep," she offered.

Sweet Pea was positioning himself beside Lane in the bed with Daya curled on his chest, and he looked down at Lane and shrugged leaving it up to her. She opened her mouth to say yes but she told the nurse, "that's okay, I'd like her close." The nurse nodded and left thinking she'd change her mind about halfway through the night, especially given her age. But Lane slumped back letting her head fall to Sweet Pea's shoulder as she looked at Daya's sleeping face. "I wanted to say yes so bad."

"I really thought you were about to," Fangs said coming out of the bathroom where he'd been hiding. But given how easily someone had gotten to Lane last night he knew neither Sweet Pea nor Lane were letting her out of their sight.

Lane fell asleep before Sweet Pea could ask if she wanted to go to bed, and Fangs helped get Daya into the bassinet without waking either girl. And while Sweet Pea wrapped Lane in his arms Fangs settled back on the recliner letting his heavy eyes close. It wasn't even five minutes before they were all woken by Daya crying, and Lane sighed grabbing the bassinet and pulling it to her before picking her up and holding her.

She turned to Sweet Pea beside her but he'd fallen back asleep, then she looked to Fangs but his head was slumped forward. And releasing a heavy breath Lane looked at her daughter, who blinked up at her, and the warmest smile curled her mouth. "Guess it's you and me, Metuka." Sweetie, the name her father used to call her.

And she sang the song he used to sing before bed, her voice was soft and deeper than the average girl's but it was soothing and Daya would grow to love the sound of it. Numi, numi yaldati – sleep, sleep, my little girl.

* * *

 _If you're interested you can find the Hebrew lullaby Numi Numi on youtube, it's very sweet and has a cute little animation._

 _So I am gonna let them keep the baby, because I secretly do want them to be happy (even though I've got two versions with them broken up). But if anyone cares to know my original idea for Daya is that she'd be taken from the nursey so that they wake to their daughter being gone. And because I love to hurt myself I pictured Sweet Pea yelling for his daughter, punching someone because they can't find her, and Lane just in the bed wailing. And then they just lay together silently crying. Daya is fine though, she gets adopted by a couple it's just Lane and Sweet Pea never see her again. Also, we all know Hiram would've been the mastermind behind that._

 _Speaking of Hiram - sneak peek: more baby cuteness and these two hardasses being such softies. And, Hiram stops by the hospital with a message for Lane._


	14. Update - future one shots

Hey guys, quick little update. Just wanted to let you guys know what I've currently got in the works, see if anyone finds any ideas particularly interesting (and one brand new one that I'm kind of excited about but curious if ya'll even want)

So I'll give you my snapshots (missing scenes from Tower Over Me) first because there's only a few, and things have been so bad/sad with Sweet Pea and Lane it'd be nice to have some cuteness, and reminders of why they were good together.

1\. a shopping trip and an important conversation - it takes place very early in Sweet Pea and Lane's relationship, shows some of Sweet Pea's insecurities since Lane is now back on the Northside as well as show's how much Lane has fallen for him and how much he means to her (because it's Lane and she wouldn't say it otherwise)

2\. Sweet Pea gets the flu and Lane takes care of him. This one is short, but super fluffy and sweet.

3\. Skip day with Fangs – this one isn't really a missing scene. But it takes place right after the merger when Fangs doesn't want to wear the uniform so he's suspended, and he convinces Lane to skip with him. And it's just some best friend fluff.

So that's all I've got for snapshots. If there's any scenes I skipped over that you'd like to see (like Lane's accident and the birth of Daya, which would heartbreaking), or her and Sweet Pea's first date, or anything else I'm always open for suggestions.  
And there is of course the version where Lane and Sweet Pea get to have Daya that I'm slowly working on (my inspiration is dwindling because my love-hate relationship with this show is turning more to just hate even though I still enjoy Lane)

* * *

Now, for the random one shots that you guys, if you want, can let me know if you're interested.

4\. there is still the second and third part of Queen of the Dead, where Lane is a Ghoulie and more with Malachai – if anyone's still interested in that.

5\. I just watched Bird Box and of course got an idea – it's not mandatory to have seen it to be interested, because I would explain what's happening within the story. This would be a psychological, horror, thriller type story; there would be quite a few character deaths.  
What I've imagined is that it would take place during season 3 before Archie is broken out of juvie. So Lane is still with Minetta, however since most people hate him I'll spoil it now at some point he would die (and I'd do my best to make you guys love the way he takes care of Lane and just all around completes her, before I kill him off)  
The ships involved (because we all know that's why we're here) would be: Choni, Reggie and Josie (because I've always liked this pairing even though I don't like either character), Veronica and Archie (his being there is a spoiler), Betty and Jughead (but like, maybe don't get attached), possibly Kevin and Fangs (but don't get attached to this either, and then Lane and Minetta with the inevitable Lane and Sweet Pea pairing.  
a. however, I might be convinced to reimagine this story taking place during Lane's pregnancy if more people would like that. Either way, this one is a multichapter (I could even make it it's own story because it might end up being 5+ chapters) But again, this is all if you guys are even interested.

6\. Having Lane die at the end of season 2 and, possibly tied in with Sabrina, comes back and is basically a walking corpse. So she'd have her autopsy scars, she doesn't eat or really feel anything, she's physically stronger than she used to be and can knock Sweet Pea's ass out when she finds out he was technically cheating on her. This would go into season 3 and the Gargoyle King, Lane might actually be under his control sometimes.

7\. This one I'm just throwing in because I've kept the idea locked away for a while, I'll start by saying I'm usually way more into the older guys than I am the younger ones.  
a. I've always kind of liked Lane and Tall Boy together (weird, I know) but I could redo the entire story and have her and him being together. Lane would be a Lady MacBeth type, she would end up being the reason Tall Boy does everything, so she's kind of the bad guy.  
b. Or, a different approach, I did have someone suggest her and FP. Which is fine, the actor is very handsome, I'm not FP's biggest fan. But I could get on board with it if people were interested, I would up Lane's age (for Tall Boy's too) have her be 18 and in her senior year. Lane would be more of a badass in this one, she'd also probably be more of an asshole.

Anyways, those are all the current ideas I have. If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them. You guys can let me know if you're interested in any of these and wanna see them turn into something. If not, I'll just keep doing what I've been doing with Tower Over Me (currently working on the new years chapter, which might make ya'll hate Lane a little bit). But thank you all for reading, happy late holidays.


	15. blood in the water - part one

_So I gave a chapter of potential ideas and this isn't a single one of them, because I'm a horrible easily sidetracked writer. If you read my first introduction of Angie then you might remember I offered two options, Angie and a boy named Manny – I ultimately went with Angie. But I've always kept Manny in the back of my mind throughout season 3 so far because he has the most interesting storyline(seriously you guys, the cliffhanger to this is killer). So I'm finally doing it, not that a single person asked (because I'm still horrible). If you didn't read my first introduction, great, because this is a completely reimagined version of that._

 _I am so tired of killing their poor baby, so I'm erasing that detail in this version – Lane either wasn't pregnant or they decided to get rid of it (you can decide). But, Lane still breaks up with Sweet Pea but this time it's because he chose the Serpents over her and she almost died because of it. That is where this chapter starts.  
If you can see the story banner the faceclaim for Manny is actor Santiago Segura._

* * *

 **XV. we'll never get free, lamb to the slaughter, what you gonna do when there's blood in the water**

She stood with a bag slung on her shoulder with only the things she absolutely needed. They'd lost the war with the Ghoulies, lost the Wyrm, lost half their people, and now they were losing Lane but they didn't know that yet. After FP announced his retirement he told Lane, who'd been hiding in their camp, to pack a bag – Hiram wouldn't stop coming after her, ever. So she couldn't stay.

FP waited as patiently as he could letting her say her goodbyes, but Minetta was combing the streets looking for her. She stood with her arms tight around Fangs' shoulders and he hugged her back, a crutch held under one arm to help hold him up. This boy who she'd almost died coming back for, and she'd do it again without hesitation. "Tell Cheryl I love her."

"I will," Fangs swore softly, his mouth against her shoulder as he blinked the water from his eyes.

"Kid."

As of that moment there was no plan for when she'd come back, if she ever could. So she stood soaking in every ounce of him she could because she didn't think she was gonna see him again. "One minute," she told FP in a voice that broke as her chin tried to quiver.

 _How long is forever? Sometimes, just one second_ She couldn't remember where she'd read that, and in this case it was a minute – but she tried to squeeze forever out of Fangs.

"Lane."

At FP's gentle urging she took a breath and let him go, knowing if she didn't do it all at once she'd never be able to do it all. "The deed to the house is in the crawlspace under the coffee table, so is my checkbook so you can pay the mortgage. At least for a few months." He nodded understanding and glanced at Sweet Pea who remained silent, wondering what happened between them.

Sweet Pea could still hear the tired way she'd said it, like she didn't want to but it was something she had to do – _you made yourself clear, you don't wanna come with me. We always knew it'd either end with me dead or leaving, we were kidding ourselves thinking we could make this work._ God he wanted to tell her how wrong she was, he wanted to yell it at her: they could make this work, because he loved her. He was ready to leave with her now, having almost lost her, but all he'd needed to see was the sad way she'd shaken her head to know she didn't want him to come with her. Because she wasn't worth giving up his life for – it was his fault she felt that way.

Lane looked up at him meeting his dark pained eyes and she reached for him, feeling his hand in hers as he squeezed it. She was ruining his life every time she dragged him deeper into this, he wouldn't let her go so it was up to her. So she pulled away and turned to Jughead hugging him briefly, the closest she'd cared to let him in a long time. "Take care of them," she said even though she knew he would. And she pulled back looking at his still bruised face and added, "that includes you."

They'd never really been close, but he could already feel the loss of her. And it had him pulling her back against him and squeezing her as she patted his back. "Never change, Lanie," he told her, meaning it.

After everything she'd lost and how hard she tried to keep from having to lose anything else, she should've known she'd never get to keep this. That in the end she'd be left with what she started with – nothing. "Shit," she muttered with a hand to Jughead's chest as she pushed herself away.

Running a hand through her hair she turned her back on them and climbed in FP's truck, hearing his muffled voice as he told Jughead he'd be back tomorrow when she was safe. It was a long quiet drive and the further they got from Riverdale, the further they left it behind, the more Lane felt like she could do this. Every now and then FP reached a hand to her knee, wishing they'd been able to do more for her.

Pulling outside of the old junkyard FP kept his foot on the break and turned to Lane. "I don't wanna linger in case he had someone tailing me," he said by means of apologizing for dumping and leaving her so quick. She nodded understanding and turned into him for a tight hug, finding everything about this hurt. "You be good," he told her, his words ruffling her hair. "And the Serpents will be here when you're able to come back." He sat back with his hands cupping her face, staring hard at her like he was trying to memorize it. They should've done more for her.

She nodded knowing the Serpents would take her back whenever she came back, if. Leaning forward she pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before she climbed down out of his truck and headed for the achingly familiar woman who was taking her in. "Hey Ms Jones," she greeted in a lackluster tone, but it was best she could manage.

Gladys offered a small smile knowing from what FP told her over the phone how hard this was for her. "You are the spitting image of your mother," she said honestly surprised by how much Lane looked like her, the only part of her that was her father was the way her eyes squinted at the corners when she smiled and she wasn't doing much smiling. "I bet you hear that a lot."

"More than I'd like," Lane admitted seeing Jughead in her face.

She reached a hand to the younger girl's chin fondly. "You keep that pretty head up," she told Lane. "You're gonna be just fine, we'll make sure of that." Seeing Lane's small nod she wrapped an arm around her thin shoulders and led her past the gate, nodding to the boy Lane's age who held it open for them.

Lane glanced at him finding something in his features she almost recognized, but she blinked and she lost it. So she turned away, letting Gladys take her inside. But his dark eyes followed her, knowing exactly who she was.

.^.

 _Four months later_

He found her in the small back room she'd been staying in since she got here, and for the last month it was the room they'd been staying in. But she had the bag she'd come with on the bed as she rifled through the dresser drawers throwing everything in. "Going somewhere?"

Getting the last of her things in the duffel back she pulled the drawstring and looked up seeing Manny standing in the doorway with a dark brow raise and a bag similar to hers hung on his broad shoulder and a plastic bag in hand. "The Sheriff found me, you know I have to leave," she said, having already told Gladys that morning she was skipping town. Again. Gladys' response was a tight hug before she got a small bag of food and drinks for the road, not knowing how long she'd be on it. "And I already told you, we haven't been together long enough for me to want you to come with me."

"Well now you're just being mean," he said stepping into the room and setting the bag on the bed in front of her. He watched her look at it like it offended her. "And we both know you're not really leaving." They might not have been together long but Manny had spent the last four months with her, one hundred and thirty days. He knew her.

She knew he did, and no matter how many different ways she said she didn't want him it never changed the fact that underneath it all she did. So goddamn much. But he wouldn't let her go the same way Gladys wouldn't let her go, or the way FP wouldn't let her stay. Snatching the bag off the bed she held the handles in either hand and looked inside to see he'd bought her hair dye and bleach. Her eyes were wide and soft with uncertain vulnerability when she looked up at him, at his handsome face with his impossibly warm dark eyes that twisted everything inside her until she couldn't breathe. "You're really gonna do this with me?"

He shrugged dropping his own duffle bag on the floor as he stepped to her and wrapped his hands around her waist pulling her against him. "I'm gonna quote someone famous who found a way to say this more eloquently than I could," he started seeing her brows raise as she waited. "I know life would suck without you," he said in a severely serious manner.

"What," was her first reaction before she laughed seeing his eyes squint the way they did when he was smiling but his mouth wasn't. "That's a song isn't it?"

Half his mouth was twisted in a smirk as he stared down at those pretty green eyes, not knowing if he remembered how to wake up without them being the first thing he saw. There was another line that he liked more - you're an asshole but I love you - but they weren't ready for that one yet.

Several hours later Lane laid across the counter with her legs curled letting him wash the dye from her hair in the sink. Every so often his eyes strayed to her calm face as she stared at the ceiling, and he'd bend to kiss her momentarily smiling mouth before he sat back and she returned to her thoughts. He worked with gentle hands until the water ran clear and then he wrung it out before helping her sit up as she toweled her hair off.

"You worried he's gonna find you again?" She scowled when she thought, and since she was always thinking she was always scowling, so he had to look for the smaller signs to know exactly where her mind was. She was pursing her mouth in a way that pressed her lips together, which meant worry.

Throwing the stained towel aside she ran a hand through her now rust colored wet hair and looked up at him, at this face she now knew better than her own, this boy she trusted with every part of herself even the weak ones. "What if I can't find enough to take him down, or I do and he still weasels out of it?" Because this was Hiram Lodge she was going after, with everything she had. So she asked Manny the question that scared her most: "what if it's never gonna be enough?"

He took her face in his hands tilting it back far enough she had nowhere to look but his eyes, feeling her small nimble hands around his back as he stood in the place between her legs. "It, or you?" He watched the stone in her eyes crack as he forced her to admit what she was really afraid of, that she wasn't strong enough to do this. "If it gets to that, and you need me, I will take him out."

She'd never told Manny who was after her, she'd left it at an ambiguous male pronoun. But at times like those, hearing a faint underlying level of hatred, she couldn't shake the feeling Manny somehow knew.

Before she could think anything else he raised her chin pressing her lips to his, filling her mouth and her mind with his tongue as his hands trailed down her body and grabbed her hips pulling her against him. Several long heated minutes they came out of the bathroom and grabbed their bags heading out.

"It's been real good having you, and you'll always have a place here," Gladys said hugging her again. The girl refused to be idle and whoever taught her about cars did a damn good job. Then she turned to Manny, who she'd taken in years ago after finding him on his own, not surprised in the slightest he was going with her. She reached a hand to his face wishing it didn't feel so much like she was losing him. "You take care of him," she told Lane.

With a small smile Lane said, "I will," knowing the care would be pretty evenly spread between them. The pair snuck out the back of the junkyard and into the thin line of trees under the cover of dark. Gladys had sent two to scope out where they first spotted Rivedale's Sheriff and they'd come back confirming he was still there, waiting for Lane to make a break for it because she wouldn't stay cornered.

There was one road that passed by this place, if Lane somehow got out without him seeing her and got to a car parked in the trees, she'd have to drive down this road to get back to Riverdale. But what he hadn't counted on is Manny knowing this place like the back of his hand, every in and out, and the two were headed to the next town where a car was waiting. It took them over an hour to get there and they were both out of breath when they finally slid into the front seat. For a moment they looked at each other both considering the possibility of actually leaving, before they started the long drive back to Riverdale.

…

For the length of her absence Lane only reached out to them once, and she'd done it through a letter addressed to FP as though from Gladys. It was really to Fangs, and she'd written inside the envelope for FP not to let him send one back. So FP had given it to Fangs and told him it was a one way deal, not knowing Lane left Manny's number for Fangs to call if he needed her.

And as he stood outside of the place he'd tracked the Ghoulies to find they had HotDog, he didn't really need her. But he wanted her. So he hiked his way back to where he'd left his bike and he pulled out the letter he always carried in his wallet because he never knew when he'd need to call.

And he called, knowing she was gonna turn him down because Jughead would take care of this, but he'd been looking for any excuse to hear her voice. "Hello?"

The deep unfamiliar voice had Fangs pausing wondering what he was supposed to say, maybe he dialed it wrong, was it okay to say Lane's name. The man said hello again asking who was calling and Fangs cleared his throat before responding. "I, um, I got this number in a letter," he said, not wanting to cause trouble if for some reason this guy either didn't know Lane or was with Hiram.

But there was a heavy sigh on the other end before he asked, "is this Fangs?" At the kid's quiet affirmative Manny looked up at Lane as she walked out of the gas station having paid in cash what he was about to put in the car.

She gave him a look as she took the phone from him and brought it to her ear. "Hello?"

Everything in him somersaulted at her voice, his heart his stomach his brain, liver. "Hey baby girl," he said in a rushed breath having lost his voice.

Manny watched her expression fall to pieces as she turned away, feeling like someone had gotten a hand around her heart and squeezed. "Hi," was all she could muster at first. But she composed herself quickly and shook her head in effort to clear it before asking, "is everything okay there?" She'd given this number for emergencies so it had to be something.

"The Ghoulies have HotDog," he said hearing how stupid that sounded when she was literally hiding from a man trying to kill her. "I know you can't be here, so don't be mad when I say I really just needed to hear you." There was so much he wanted to tell her, that he did kind of already tell her because he made Jughead find where her letter came from so he could send one back. He wanted to hold her again, for her to hold him.

Lane nodded hearing the click of the pump behind her. "I take it things aren't better," she said knowing how crazy everything still was. The Serpents were homeless and doing their best to survive, the Ghoulies were working for Hiram, the Wyrm was now a cook site. "I'll explain when I get there, I'm an hour outside of town. Where do I need to go?"

He fumbled over his words as his mind ricocheted between utter relief that she was coming back and a protectiveness of wanting her far away from this. But he gave her the location of where he was currently standing, leaving a marker on a tree for her to find and then detailed how far in the woods the place was. "But why are you,"

"When we're done," she told him again. "I'll see you soon." It was hard not to smile as she turned back to Manny and handed him his phone.

Reaching a hand to brush her hair back he got a hold of her chin tipping her head back to look at him. "You didn't think you'd get to say that again," he said knowing how much this particular boy meant to her. He could see it shining in her eyes. "They've got you pegged wrong, you're not fighting to get your life back you're fighting to get them back." All that love, it made her dangerous.

…

The five Serpents stood back watching Jughead facing the Ghoulies on his own, Hot Dog having been nothing more than bait to get him there. Cheryl proved to have quite the trigger finger and Penny stood seething as Malachai hissed holding the arrow imbedded in his shoulder. "That's it, just kill them all," Penny ordered having reached the end of her care and patience.

"Cheryl aim your next arrow right between Penny's eyes," Jughead yelled, seeing Penny first grit her teeth before she threw a hand up to get her dogs to hold off.

She still had a play, she was close enough to Jughead to duck behind him when things got hairy, there were options. But in the very short moments she took to consider this the two Ghoulies that had been waiting in the woods behind the Serpents crept forward shifting their hold on their weapons prepared to get the arrow off Penny by any means necessary.

The two came around either side of the truck to surround the remaining five, Toni caught sight of the one to their left and called for her girlfriend before a young man came up behind him cocking a rifle. "Give me a reason," Manny warned.

Sweet Pea heard the snap of a boot on a stick and turned to his right seeing the other Ghoulie, and behind him came a short girl with a bandana tied around half her face so only her fiery hair and pale deadly eyes showed as she held a gun to the back of his head. "I wish you would."

Lowering their weapons the two Ghoulies were herded forward, away from the Serpents, and Penny looked between them furious her last play had been ruined. "Congratulations, you just made the Northside fair game."

Sweet Pea would know that voice and those eyes anywhere, and he stepped in front of her staring hard down at her half covered face having never thought he'd see her again. "Lane?" he breathed as though part of him was unable to believe it. Needing to see he reached almost timidly to the scarf, but her small hand fastened around his wrist pulling it away from her covered face.

Clapping his arm she turned away heading to the back of the truck, taking Manny's hand as he helped her climb up. Sweet Pea moved to the driver's side looking at the unknown boy, meeting his dark eyes as they quietly sized each other up. Fangs smacked his shoulder to spur him on and Sweet Pea climbed behind the wheel and drove them back to the main road, his eyes straying every few seconds to the rearview mirror where he could see the back of her head as Cheryl held her.

"I'm still mad at you for leaving without saying goodbye," Cheryl told her, her arms tight around Lane's shoulders jostling against her in the truck bed. And she was, rightfully furious, but she was also so goddamn happy to see her.

Beside them Toni smiled gently knowing what Lane meant to Cheryl, and what Cheryl meant to Lane, and that Lane's not saying goodbye was in effort not to completely break either of their hearts. "You know you have to share her," she said more for Fangs, but she planned to hug Lane too mostly because she knew how much Lane hated it.

"I adore you TT, but this one's mine."

Toni's smile grew having expected that response, but she took the hand Lane reached to her and held it fast.

Across from them Fangs sat glancing at Manny, noting the heavy way he watched Lane. "I'm Fangs, but you already know that," he said realizing this was who answered the phone earlier.

"Yeah she talked about you the most," he said turning to Fangs and holding his hand out. "Manny." It wasn't the typical handshake, they came at it from the side and clapped their hands together before letting go.

He watched Manny's eyes return to Lane immediately, and Fangs wondered about it: if it was out of care, concern that Lane was back in a town almost completely run by the guy trying to kill her, possession. "Thanks for looking out for her," he said trying to gauge his relationship with Lane, how close they were because he had to mean something to her if she brought him.

Without taking his eyes from Lane, who rolled hers as Cheryl commented on her hair, Manny told him, "nah man, she never needed me for that." He knocked on the window to get Sweet Pea's attention and told him to pull over. "We're parked over there," he said pointing to the clearing they'd left the car in.

"We'll meet you at the camp," Lane told Jughead before he could object, knowing between him and his father she'd get the most trouble for being there. She took Manny's hand again as he helped her climb down.

They stored the guns in the back and followed the truck the rest of the way to camp. "How you feeling?" he asked wondering how sure she was in this plan, or if she just wanted to be back so much it was clouding her judgment.

Which it was, and Lane was aware of that, but she also knew Hiram wasn't just going to fall into a ditch and disappear. "Fifty-fifty this'll get me killed," was her honest answer.

He nodded contemplating that and the vague details she'd told him, that she didn't really sound all that concerned. "Well your odds haven't gotten worst at least," he said knowing that's how it'd always been for her.

They pulled up next to the truck outside camp and she looked at Manny curious where his head was in all this, nothing ever seemed to shake him. "How about you?" she asked, knowing at some point he had to wonder if she was worth all this. But he had the warmest eyes as he turned to her and leaned closer so the tip of his nose brushed hers, he had a way of looking at her that always made it feel like he was holding her. "I swear to god if you start singing."

From the toothy way he grinned she wouldn't put it past him, he was a dork and there wasn't much he wouldn't do to make her smile. Getting a hand under her chin he tilted her head like he did for a kiss, and she smiled leaning into him but he pulled away. "Who said I wanted to kiss you?" he asked watching her roll her eyes. "I mean, I know I'm irresistible but we've got more important things to do."

"Just," she started and smacked his chest with the back of her hand, "get out of the car." She was shaking her head as she climbed out but the corners of her pressed mouth were curled as she fought not to smile, which she gave up on when she came around to the trunk to see his boyish grin.

Jughead had taken Hot Dog and Betty into the camp to find his father, but Toni and Fangs shared an unhappy look before glancing at Sweet Pea to see dark shadows hiding his scowling face, and Cheryl stared at the two with her brows raised. "I did not approve of that," Cheryl said softly sneaking an arm around Toni's waist.

"I know," Toni told her, knowing Cheryl hadn't really liked Sweet Pea with Lane either.

Grabbing the tent and air mattress along with the two bags they'd packed Lane made her way in the direction Jughead had gone with Manny close at her back. Her eyes were on FP who's face contorted with rage the more Jughead said, but Manny noticed the suspicious glances they got – mostly toward him – before their eyes lit up with recognition as they realized it was Lane.

"Girl, you better have a damn good reason to be back here," FP said with an accusatory finger raised at her. After the trouble he'd gone to get her out, and she was wasting it.

Any emotion she had at being back with her people soured at his tone. "Minetta found me, and before anyone tries to tell me what to do," she said mostly to FP because he'd opened his mouth to cut her off, but also to the six others surrounding them, "tell me one thing you found out about Hiram since I've been gone. Just one, it doesn't have to be big. You saw him wearing shorts one day – just, _anything._ " At their silence she looked around mostly at FP, Jughead, Fangs and Sweet Pea, none of whom besides FP would meet her eye. "So he's still sending guys after me and not a single Serpent has been assigned to watch him? Do I have that right," she turned to Jughead, "Serpent King?"

With a wry unamused smirk Jughead shook his head. "We've been a little busy."

"Doing what?" Lane demanded opposing him loudly. "It certainly wasn't taking care of your dog, or getting the Serpents out of this camp, and you couldn't have been looking that hard for the Ghoulies because they all but put up a sign saying 'we're here, dumbass.' So I'm out there trying not be killed for the last four months and the only thing you've done in that time is make these two," she pointed between a wide eyed Betty and an amused Cheryl, "Serpents."  
Lane turned back to FP, who she still thought of as the leader and so far was the only one she respected in that position. "Shit's not getting done unless I'm here to do it. And under his nose is the last place he'll look for me. So unless someone has anything they want to add," she extended an arm waving at the silent group around her, "then we're gonna set up our tent."

"You can put it up next to mine," Toni offered without hesitation. She and Cheryl led the two through the camp, followed by Fangs and a reluctant Sweet Pea because their tent was pretty close to Toni's as well.

When they were out of earshot of the Jones' Cheryl chimed in with, "I must say, I have truly missed the ease with which you tear down every man that thinks he has any power over you." The two girls shared a long look and a smile as they each reached a hand to the other.

They reached Toni's tent and Lane set down the large cylindrical bag and unzipped it pulling everything out and gathering the metal poles setting everything neatly on the ground to assemble. She looked up at Manny and told him, "I don't know why I'm acting like I know what I'm doing."

He smirked down at her. "I was seeing how far you were gonna get," he teased knowing she didn't know how to set it up.

"There are instructions, with pictures."

He handed her the bag for the air mattress and ruffled her hair before kneeling in front of the tent to take over. "Yeah yeah, you don't need me."

Lane got the mattress blown up and Cheryl helped pull the fitted sheet over it before they set it inside the tent Fangs had helped Manny get up before Lane smoothed the blanket over it and Manny tossed their pillows inside. "Really?" she asked looking from where they lay barely even on the bed and certainly not straight and then up at him. She leaned into the tent and stretched an arm to grab one so she could fix it but he got his arms around her middle and plucked her off the ground. "Manny, put me down," she laughed feeling his shoulder in the middle of her back as he carried her high up on his chest.

"Bring her this way," Cheryl said grinning as she led him a little ways from the tents to the couch and lawn chairs they had set around a dumpster they usually had a fire going in. She was liking how open Lane was with him, how unconscious she was about it.

Fangs and Sweet Pea stood back with mirrored unhappy faces, their eyes mostly on Manny. "What are you thinking?" Sweet Pea asked knowing any opinion he had would be tossed aside and labeled as jealous. Which Cheryl informed him he had no right to since his fling with Josie.

"She seems to really like him," Fangs responded not wanting to say what he thought. Because Lane seemed happy, and it was clear she trusted him. But the way Manny watched her, how heavy his eyes stuck to her, it had something twisting in his stomach. "There's something off about him."

Sweet Pea had felt that the moment he locked eyes with the other guy, a gut wrenching sense of danger that had his hands wanting to ball into fists. "You said it, not me." They shared a wary look as if knowing this wasn't going to end well before they followed the others and Sweet Pea lit the fire.

They sat next to each other on the couch with a little space between them, his arm around the back of the couch more than around her shoulders: cautious, respectful given the circumstance. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?" Cheryl asked sitting on Toni's lap in one of the lawn chairs across from them. "The dashingly handsome knight in shining armor to my dearest Lane?"

Licking his lips Manny turned to Lane to see her waiting with a brow cocked. "I'm more the not as important, but still dashingly handsome, faithful steed that follows the knight," he knocked her chin affectionately, "wherever she takes him."

"That makes it sound like you have to be here," Lane told him.

He shrugged smirking in a way that made her suspicious of what was about to come out of his mouth. "If I want you to ride me." He laughed as she smacked him, even at her hardest it didn't do more than sting a little.

Huffing she turned to Cheryl, not appreciate her or Toni's suggestive grins. "He's one of Gladys' boys, I met him there," she said answering what Cheryl really wanted to know. She sat back and rolled her eyes muttering, "I knew you'd make it sexual." His response was to wrap his arm around her and kiss her temple, and she rolled her eyes like she was annoyed but her mouth was pursed around a smile.

"Gladys Jones?" Toni asked when Lane looked their way, ready for someone to ask anything else.

Manny nodded keeping his hold on Lane and she sat back against him more comfortably than when there'd been space between them. "Yeah, she found me on the street a few years ago," he said not elaborating about his parents. And they respected that because they all understood, but Lane knew his mom split on him like hers had and his dad had been in prison for years. He'd been on his own a lot longer than he'd been with Gladys, his edges were jagged and rough, but he had a soft heart. And she reached a hand to the one he had hanging from her shoulder and wove their fingers together. "Then this one came along," he said, his eyes on Lane, "got me thinking about the future. Ruined everything."

"You're welcome," Lane stated simply. And she smiled as he kissed her cheek, best day of his life was the day she came and messed it all up; he told her that the day before Minetta found her.

The four sat back watching them, seeing and hearing the familiarity between them, the easy way they smiled and joked. Neither Fangs nor Sweet Pea liked it, thinking this boy had come in and changed Lane into someone they only vaguely recognized. But Cheryl, she sat back so proud of how comfortable Lane was. Nothing about Lane's situation had changed, in fact it was more dangerous now since she was so close to Lodge; and yet there was something almost free about her, with him. "So what are some things you like to do?" Cheryl asked knowing but not caring that she was probing, and beneath her Toni smiled faintly as her hold on Cheryl tightened.

With the unyielding way she stared it felt like an interrogation, and considering she was Lane's best friend it had him swallowing uncomfortably. "Um, I like art. Drawing and um,"

"Welding," Lane offered.

"Yup, welding," Manny said having been drawing a blank. "Made her that ring," he said pointing to the thin metal band on her middle finger that bore only a small stone he'd cut and smoothed. "I really like doing the paneling on cars, she'd get them running and I'd fix them up." They made a hell of a team.

He looked down at her asking silently for help and she took pity on him. "You can be done," she told him, hearing his quiet relieved exclamation.

"Excuse me," Cheryl piped in, "it's done when I say it is. Although you're lucky I'm easily distracted." She held out a hand and knowing her well Lane handed her the ring to inspect. "Look babe," Cheryl said showing Toni. "How precious is this?" Inside the silver band he'd painstakingly carved the Serpent tattooed on her ring finger, and the stone he'd put in was a shade darker than Lane's eyes that he'd cut smaller than a pencil's eraser. "Any significance to it?" Cheryl asked handing it back, watching how quickly Lane put it back on her finger.

He nudged her and Lane shot him a look having figured he'd make her explain her own gift. "Last month was the first time I left the house, he snuck me out," he actually carried her over his shoulder because she at first refused so technically it was more kidnapping, but he'd known how tired she was of being there, "it's from the section of the river he took me to. We had a picnic." It was probably one of her best days, hanging out for hours talking and laughing, skinny dipping, dancing under the stars.

"From your smile I take it that was your first kiss," Fangs said having been watching them quietly. She seemed so relaxed, not only with someone she'd known for four months but with someone she'd only been close with for one. She seemed so happy and after everything she'd been through he really wanted her to be – but Lane just wasn't like this, and he had a hard time shaking how odd it all was.

Lane pulled her knees to chest as she leaned against Manny's side. "Maybe," she admitted. They'd checked just about every first that day, it'd been a really good day. And it never failed to surprise her that everyday that followed, which were mostly boring, still felt just as good as that one. Even today.

They talked a while longer as they came full circle with the getting-to-know-you's, which were mostly on Manny's end because Lane was nothing if not thorough and she'd told him about the four sitting across from them. Even the ex, who stared with heavily suspicious, bordering angry, dark eyes and a silent frown. Fangs, the other best friend, opened up the more they talked and realized they had a few things in common.

Until Manny yawned one time too many and he turned to Lane who sat with her legs curled but fallen to the side and her temple against his cheek. "We're gonna go to bed," he said seeing the others weren't ready yet. And by that point at least half of the Serpents had already turned in. "Our day technically started last night."

"Are we finally going to bed?" Lane mumbled having stirred by him shifting beneath her.

He felt her go twenty minutes ago, and she was already halfway back asleep as he slid out from behind her. With a smile he got his arms under her and picked her up, knowing she was really tired when she didn't make any complaints about being manhandled. "We'll see you guys in the morning, it was nice meeting you," he said over his shoulder as he carried her to their tent, hearing their goodnights called to them as the others planned to stay up a little while longer.

Kicking his shoes off outside the tent, and pulling hers off and tossing them on the ground, he dropped to his knees onto the air mattress and set her on it before climbing over her. They both scooted up to the pillows and pulled their jeans and socks off, along with Manny's shirt and her bra, before they settled next to each other letting out a contented sigh to be lying down after such a long day.

But Lane huffed as her mind turned and he asked, "do you want me to do it?"

"No," she whined forcing herself to sit up and lean out of the tent to straighten their shoes. When they were where she wanted them she zipped the flap and turned to where he lay with an arm stretched out, and she crawled up to him laying her head over his chest as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I would've been thinking about that all night," she said, glad to have that thought gone.

He settled with her against him feeling the weight of the day settle in his bones making him heavy, and she made him feel warm, and overall he was plain and simple happy. But she was unusually quiet, and had been for most of the evening unless it pertained to him. "Being back's not what you thought it'd be, is it?"

She released a heavy breath as she sat up on her elbows and looked down at his shadowed face. "I've been thinking of this moment everyday for months, it was never gonna live up to my expectations," she said, glad it was mostly dark because he'd see how close she was to lying.

Dark or not he could hear it in her voice. "But you thought they'd at least make something of an effort to get you back." He heard the deep breath she expelled through her nose, saw the way she dropped her head as her eyes fell to his chest. "From what you told me that guy was the one who took care of you," he said not remembering Tall Boy's name, "Fangs and Toni were your friends. But everyone else, including your ex, only changed their minds about you when you started doing things for them."

She'd been trying not to think this the last couple hours, after realizing no one had done anything while she'd been gone. But Manny was right, the Serpents only accepted her because she was being loyal to them, and they'd been quick to step back when she wasn't doing what they wanted her to – Sweet Pea had been the worst. Could she really be surprised that no one did anything for her in the time she'd been gone. "That doesn't seem fair," she softly replied, not wanting to recognize this because if she didn't have them then she didn't have anyone.

"No, what's not fair is them only caring about you when you're being a Serpent," he said, as he'd told her a few weeks ago when they first had this conversation. "The only reason you care so much is because you needed a family and they were only ones that took you in. But you've got one with us and Gladys," he said, wanting her to see that they were happy to have her without condition. But she was so blind because she thought she loved this place, rather than just the idea of it.

"Or, after we take your guy down we can always get your GED," like she'd helped him get his over the summer. "We found several universities that'll take them, you can still go to law school if you want. But if you change your mind and you wanna stay here, we can do that too," he said brushing her hair out of her face, grazing her cheek with his knuckles. "But there's a whole world out there waiting for you, you don't have to settle for this place if you don't want to." He wanted her to see there was more than this, that she was worth more than this, she just had to want it.

But she wasn't there yet, because she still wanted that feeling of home she thought the Serpents were. Only it was colder than she remembered, the love started to look more like situational necessity, and even though she was back it still felt like she was missing it. "As disappointing as today has been," you make everyday feel like the best day, but she'd never let herself say that, "I'm really glad you're here."

He knew how hard saying that was for her, that pulling teeth with tweezers was easier than getting her to talk about anything she was feeling. So he knew not to push or tease, or be anything that wasn't honest. "Me too," he told her because he knew at several points that day she would've wondered if he thought he was making a mistake. And he never wanted her to think that. Getting his arms around her shoulders he rolled on his side bringing her with him, holding her close.

* * *

 _This is a three part story, the crazy cliff hanger comes next chapter (sorry about that, I meant for this chapter to be shorter but I ended up really liking her and Manny's relationship), so next chapter will likely be shorter than this. I don't know when I'll post it, if anyone's even interested in reading more.  
I've got a couple other potential Lane x other characters – I've got one for Tommy Kinkle (Chilling adventures of Sabrina) that is a two part story. And I have the idea of one for Mad Dog that I never planned the end to. Not sure if I'll do either of these, they're just there.  
But thank you all for reading, I hope someone other than me at least enjoyed it._


End file.
